Regrets And Forgiveness
by Yuna Leonhart
Summary: For the first time in her life, Edna could live a somewhat normal life. But would she be able to let go of the single moment that changed her life forever? Spoiler alert if you haven't finished both Edna and Harvey games.
1. Escape

Hello and welcome to my new story, this time in the universe of the _Edna and Harvey_ games by Daedalic. I actually started writing this in January but I didn't want to upload it until it was (almost) finished. Before I started writings this I hadn't written anything in a long time, so I guess my writing's a little rusted. Anyway, I hope you still enjoy this and constructive criticism is welcome.

And now on with the first chapter (or prolog, if you will)

* * *

 **Regrets And Forgiveness**

 **Chapter One**

 **Escape**

Silence. Nothing to hear but complete silence. Nothing to see but black. It was like everything in the world was nonexistent, like he was unable to feel and hear anything, unable to move. Was he dead? Slowly, like he was testing whether or not his limbs were working, he moved his arm. The moment he did so, sharp pain shot up his arm. He groaned in pain. So, he was not dead after all. But why could he not remember anything? Slowly but surely, he opened his eyes, seeing the stone floor just barely a few centimeters away from his face. Blood dripped on the floor; was that his blood? He had a feeling he had to get up and look properly around to remember, so he did get up, his body aching with each movement. The procedure was slow and painful but eventually he was back on his two legs. Looking around, he saw he was in a church. In a corner on the other side of the room was an electric guitar as well as an amplifier. A tiny red light indicated it was turned on. Otherwise, he just noticed things one could usually find in a church, the cross being the most prominent object over there; other things were the altar and pulpit. He turned around, coming face to face with a giant ajar door. Looking to his right, he found a flight of steps leading up the wall, and, looking up, he saw the pipes of an organ. For some reason, he could see a pair of headphones dangling from one pipe. Looking up even further, he spotted a corpse dangling from somewhere above. At this moment, he realized what had happened.  
He was sitting at the organ, playing a few tunes, when the reverend came out of a room. The reverend was coming for him but he fled up to the bell tower, followed by his pursuer. They were struggling up on the tower until he somehow managed to hang the reverend with a rope he found in the truck back at the asylum. Then he was climbing down one ladder and was sitting on the wooden railing for who knew how long. He remembered Edna suddenly appearing and he was reprimanding her for freeing him. Then she was making noises to the point that he put on the headphones that had suddenly shot up from an organ pipe. Next thing he knew, he was pushed off of his seat and lost his consciousness.  
Yes, that was what happened. And, upon further inspecting the church and himself, he came up to several conclusions; he was covered in bruises and blood and one arm felt like it was broken, the key for the church was gone and the door to the church was open. Edna must have done this to get to her father's home, he concluded. One part of him was in a rage for her attempting to kill him, yet another part could not really blame her. She did mention she needed to know the truth about what happened years ago. Maybe he should leave her in peace for now; besides, there was not much he could do to her with a broken arm anyway. Still, he should get away from here, lest the police and the guys from the mental institution found him. He was not going back until he found the girl with the blue rabbit...

* * *

She breathed heavily, polo mallet in hand, her eyes fixed on the unconscious man down the stairs. This was the second time in her life she pushed a member of the Marcel family down but, unlike last time, this one survived. His breathing was swallow but she reckoned he was going to survive. Yes, it was easy to kill him right there, for all he put her through, but one thing stopped her from doing this. She had enough blood on her hands; no one else should die because of her, no matter how much they deserved it. Still, she should better get away as fast as possible...  
Without hesitating, she ran down the stairs, polo mallet in one hand, Harvey in the other. She jumped over Doctor Marcel's unconscious form, down to the kitchen and to the basement, where she climbed out of the window. The police had already arrived, the blue lights of theirs illuminating whatever Edna could see of the forefront of her property. She snuck towards the light, careful not to make a sound, and peeked around the corner. Several policemen were entering the house through the front door. She reckoned it was now open, Doctor Marcel had to get in somehow; he sure did not fit through the basement window. Seeing the policemen were too preoccupied, she decided it was safe to walk quietly past them. However, luck was not on her side; after she walked a few steps, she heard someone from the mob call:  
"There she is!"  
"Oh, oh...", Edna mumbled as she started running as fast as she could. Behind her, she could hear some of them pursuing her, but she did not bother to look. She had to get away; she had to get rid of them. But she heard them coming closer and closer; she was just not used to running. She needed a hiding place but where?  
Her running led her to the forest, in which she and Alfred used play. Memories returned about times when she hid somewhere when she wanted to get away from him. If only she could remember where it was, then maybe she could get rid of the police. For now, she just let her feet lead her the way, it was better than getting caught.  
"Edna! Run to the convent school!", Harvey advised. Edna would have asked him why, but she had no breath to ask the question. "One of your hiding places was near the convent school."  
Edna knew where this place was. She could see where it was when she looked through the trees to the horizon. Hopefully, she was lucky and the police would not find her. Still, she was not going to count on it. Sooner or later, she would need to find a better hiding place but, at least for tonight, her hiding place near the convent school was as good as any. She was so focused on the convent school she did not see the river until it was too late. Suddenly, she lost solid ground from under her feet and landed in the river. For a moment, Edna was unable to breathe until she swam to the surface and took a deep breath. She had to get out, quick! Trusting her instincts and her memories of her swimming lessons, she swam to the shore and got out of the water. She ran farther away from the river until she reached a tree almost a kilometer away from the river and sat down underneath the tree to catch her breath. It was only then when she realized something, or rather someone, was missing.  
"Harvey? Harvey! Where are you?"  
Edna looked around but was unable to find her blue, lagomorph friend.  
"I must have lost him when I fell into the river... But I can't go back now. I have to look for him when it's safe..."  
After resting a brief spell, Edna continued on until she was out of the woods and found herself in a four-way fork on the road. One led to the convent school, another to the village as she could see, the third one led to a marsh and she came from the final one. She decided to take the way to the moor. By now, she could not hear her pursuers anymore. Maybe they had given up... Still, she could not be so sure but at least the path she was walking was dangerous, so maybe the police was too afraid of looking for her here and would not suspect her hiding out here. Edna smirked as she thought about the police being too cowardly when she spotted a cave. Looking inside, she saw it was empty. It was a good hiding place until she could come up with a better plan...  
Edna decided to wait until the following night until she decided to sneak back to the village and her house. She was in need of new clothes; after all, wearing the gown from the asylum was anything but pleasant. It felt cold and too exposed for her liking. Not too mention she was freezing when she slept in her wet nightgown. There were no police cars anywhere near her house, so it was safe for her to get in. This time, she went through the front door since no one bothered to close it. Edna wanted to hurry, in case the police came back and because the sight of her old home being so rundown just depressed her. She ran up to her father's room. Perhaps she could wear something of his for the time being until she found something better.  
"Hm, where did Mattis keep his clothes?", Edna mumbled to herself, her eyes scanning the room. She spotted a closet. "Maybe in there..."  
Without further ado, she approached the closet and opened it. Mattis's clothes still looked good, though a cardboard box in a corner caught Edna's eyes. Silently, she took it out and opened it to find women's clothing, clothing she barely recognized...  
"Are those... mom's?", she wondered in a voice that was barely above a whisper. Hesitatingly, she took a sweater out and held it out in front of her. It looked like it could fit. Quickly, she changed into her mother's clothing and took some spare clothes from both her deceased parents with her, as well as her items from the breakout. Perhaps she could need those again. She kept the gown with her; she would discard it somewhere else, maybe at sea...  
Once she had everything, she returned to her hideout. She was aware she could not escape or hide from the guilt she felt for the deaths for Alfred, Mattis, the reverend and even the Key Master but she had hope she could make peace with this someday.


	2. A Few Years Later

Thank you for your review, Sonicmario. I hope you and everybody else who is reading this fanfiction will continue enjoying it :)

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 **A Few Years Later**

Edna had managed to evade the police and Doctor Marcel. Not long after her escape, she found refuge at a convent school; it was unlikely they would look for her there. While she was there, she hid her parents' clothes in the cave she found on the night of her escape. In fact, she secretly hid other things there, so it would be a comfortable hiding place in case she needed one once again. However, she had to escape again when Mother Superior called for Doctor Marcel to use his "white-sheet" method, also known a "correction of character", on a student. She was captured during her escape. At least one good thing came out of the whole ordeal, she was reunited with Harvey. However, he was left with a single scar over one eye and he had a string in his stomach. Her friend from the convent school, Lilli, was put in an orphanage while the school closed down due the lack of students. But, unlike Lilli, Edna did not end up in an orphanage since she was already of age. Luckily, Gerret helped her finding a place to stay.  
So, now Edna lived in an apartment in a town one hour away from her childhood home. Her housemate was the little sister of an acquaintance of Gerret's. She had no problem in letting Edna live with her, her only condition was that she was not allowed to enter her room without permission – she liked her privacy – and that she would wash her clothes on her own. Right now, Edna attended school to get a proper graduation; on weekends and during holidays, she had a part-time job in a small restaurant. Her appearance had changed over the few years. Her once pale skin was now a darker, healthier complexion. She wore mostly dark colors, particularly purple, but all in all, she had no specific preferences in regards of fashion. The only thing that mattered to her about her clothes was that they did not look like they should belong to a clown. Most of the time, she did kept her hair open and free, except when she had to wear a ponytail. Her life was not the best but it was better than it was since she was eight years old.  
"What do you think, Harv?", she asked her old friend, showing him the picture she just drew. It was a picture of creatures dancing around a bonfire.  
"It looks great! Except that it doesn't explode and burn everything", the stuffed rabbit responded. Edna chuckled but before she could reply to his criticism, she heard a knock on her door.  
"Come in!"  
The door opened to reveal her housemate, Tina. She was about the same height as Edna, but a bit on the chubby side. She was also a few years older than her, though one would think otherwise if the two were compared with each other. Her hair was short and blond and her eyes were green. Tina wore normally a sweater, a light colored one at the moment, and jeans. It was actually her who encouraged Edna to take on art as a hobby. At first, she had no idea what to think about this but soon found she was not so bad and she was improving with each drawing and clay figure.  
"Edna, I need to shop for groceries. Do you need anything?", she asked, leaning against the doorframe. Edna thought for a moment before replying:  
"No, there's nothing I need but should I need something after all, I call you."  
"Okay then, see you later", with that, Tina left the room, closing the door behind her. A few minutes later, Edna heard the front door open and close. Now alone, save for Harvey, Edna looked around her room. It was kept in dark colors, decorated by a couple of her pictures and clay figures. Her bed was situated right underneath the window; next to the bed was a bedside table, which a lamp and an alarm clock stood on. At one wall was a wardrobe, which could not be properly closed, filled with the pieces of clothing she acquired over time, as well as her parents' clothes, for she could not bring herself to part from them. Next to the wardrobe was a dresser, in which she kept her art supplies and school stuff. At the wall opposite the wardrobe was a desk with an old laptop of Tina's, which Edna was using until she could afford a better one. Above the desk was a shelf, filled with the few DVDs and CDs she had acquired. Edna stood up from her chair and walked over to her bed, with Harvey in hand, just to sit down there and to look out of the window. It was a rather cold Saturday afternoon in May, with gray clouds covering the sky and a strong wind blowing. Edna shuttered at the thought of leaving the apartment to go to work later. Perhaps she should ask Tina for a ride...  
"Harvey, I have no idea what I could do...", she lamented to her lagomorph friend.  
"We could build rockets and use them to make an island fly!", Harvey responded enthusiastically.  
"No, the next island is too far away", Edna giggled. Then she added in a contemplating voice: "Maybe I should play a video game..."  
"Or that", the blue stuffed rabbit shrugged. Once again, Edna got up and left with Harvey her bedroom and went to the living room.  
It was the largest room in the apartment, with a small cabinet at one wall. A television set stood on the cabinet and a video game console and a Blu Ray player were wired to it. In front of the cabinet stood a coffee table, as well as a couch and an armchair. Next to the television set was a cupboard, filled with DVDs, Blu Rays, video games and books, all which were Tina's. Edna did not quite agree with her taste but was nonetheless allowed to watch them or play them or read them if she was bored. She picked out a game, turned on the television set and the console, put the game in and the one that was in the console before back into its case and started playing.  
Edna had no idea how long she played but eventually, she heard Tina returning, which was confirmed by her announcing "I'm back!" the moment she stepped through the front door. A moment later, the older woman entered the living room, shopping bags in her arms, which she set down on the dining table behind the couch.  
"Um, Edna? I think you should get ready for work", Tina pointed out. The younger woman looked at a watch and saw that her housemate was right, so she saved the game and turned everything off before disappearing into the bathroom. There she took off her clothes and got into the bathtub. At first, it was weird for her to be in a bathtub and taking a shower there as she was too used to the washrooms at the asylum but quickly got used to this. More privacy and she could take as long as she liked... unless Tina had to use the bathroom. Anyway, after Edna was done with washing, she got dressed again and left the bathroom. Back in her room, she took her work clothes and put them in a bag – she would change into them at her workplace. Now a quick bite to eat and she was ready to go.

An hour later, Edna was on her way to work, carrying her bag, in which she kept her work clothes, money, ID, a lunchbox full of sandwiches and something to drink. The way was not long but not short either; it was actually good exercise for her to walk the path, but she did not like walking when the weather was bad. Oh well, she just had to live with this but she walked faster. The sooner she was at the restaurant, the better. There was no need for her to catch a cold in this weather just because she decided not to ask Tina to give her a ride.  
A short time later, Edna appeared at the restaurant. It was a nice, quaint place that reminded her for summer with its white exterior and turquoise door. During summer, a couple of tables and chairs stood outside the restaurant, underneath some parasols. Edna entered through the employees' only entrance and quickly changed in the changing room to start her shift. The work clothes for waitresses consisted of a pale blue dress that ended just above her kneecaps and a white apron. Edna also had her hair tied together in a lose ponytail; actually, most long-haired waitresses did. Once she was ready, she took a notepad and pen and left the changing room.  
The restaurant's interior was kept in light colors, starting with white and gradually becoming a darker shade of blue until the bottom was midnight blue. On the window sill were seashells, plastic starfish and seahorses as well as a little figurine of a mermaid. Various pictures showing sea creatures, both real life and mythological, decorated the walls and from the ceiling hung a fishnet filled with plastic water flowers and seashells. Only a few guests were there and each of them already had their orders. However, this was not the case for long, for a young couple entered the restaurant. They took off their jackets and hung them on a coat hook before taking a seat underneath a picture of a Kraken taking down a ship. Edna took two menus and walked over them.  
"Welcome to the Mare de Sol", she greeted them, handing them the menu. "Would you like something to drink?"  
"Um, yes, Miss. I would like a glass of beer", the man answered.  
"And for me apple juice, please", the woman, who was most likely his girlfriend, replied. Edna nodded while she made a note.  
"I'll be back in a moment."  
With that she left their table and went over to the bar, where she got the drinks. She returned to the young couple, carrying a tray with their refreshments.  
"Here you go", she said, while placing the glasses on the table. "Would you like to order now?"  
"Oh yes, I would like the beef steak, medium rare, with potatoes and a salad", the woman replied.  
"Fried fish with French fries for me", the male responded. Just like before, Edna made a note and told them their orders would be served soon. Then she went to the kitchen, where the cooks were busy preparing the meals. It was deafeningly loud being in the kitchen, with the cooks shouting, the banging of the pots and other utensils that were dropped. Normally, Edna did not mind if it was noisy, but this was just annoying for her in this case, which was why she was glad she was not working in the kitchen. She was sure she would never want to work in gastronomy once she finished school but the trouble was, she still had no idea what kind of job she could have. She had never thought about this, she never had the chance to when she was stuck in the asylum. There were often times when she wished she could blame Doctor Marcel for her stolen childhood and adolescence but she knew she had no one to blame but herself. It was after all her who killed Alfred, not him. But no point in thinking about this now; she had work to do and thus shouted the order to a cook Then she left the kitchen to find more guests had arrived and went on to wait the next table.

Hours later, Edna returned home from her stressful shift. She quietly took off her shoes and jacket and made her way to her room. She knew Tina was already asleep, otherwise she would hear something in the living room, as Edna knew her housemate liked to watch a movie or play a video game before going to sleep.  
"Edna! Edna! Edna! Edna!", Harvey enthusiastically greeted her by calling her name several times. "Did you miss me?"  
"Sure I did, little buddy", she replied with a small smile on her face. She took a nightgown and panties and walked back through the door, telling her stuffed friend that she would be back in a few minutes. She was exhausted and just wanted to sleep but before she did it, she would brush her teeth and change her clothes. Once she was done, she returned in her room and went to bed, falling asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and holding Harvey close to her chest.  
She woke up around midday the following day, awakened by a delicious smell coming from somewhere in the apartment. She got up and put on her dressing gown, and then left her room, still holding Harvey. Following the smell, she soon found Tina in the kitchen, preparing lunch. The older one of the two looked up when she heard the door opening.  
"Oh morning, Edna", Tina greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Yes, I did. What about you?"  
"Me too. Lunch will be ready soon; could you please set up the table?"  
Edna nodded and put Harvey down on the window sill before opening a cupboard to get two plates, which she carried to the living room and put them on the dining table. Then she went back to get the cutlery before taking Harvey with her to the living room. She decided to watch something on television while waiting for lunch but found nothing of interest. Sundays were her least favorite days of the week, as there was nothing interesting to watch on television and because she knew another week would start the next day, another week of school. Speaking of which, she had an examination paper in English class the next day. Maybe she should ask Tina for help for some last minute studying...  
"Lunch is ready!", Tina announced as she appeared with a large plate fill of chicken legs. She set it down in the middle of the table and went back to the kitchen to get potatoes and did the same for the vegetables. Then both girls sat down, filled their plates, and started eating.

* * *

Miles away, in a building on a hill just outside a village, a rather old man in a wheelchair looked out of the window. He had pretty much stopped caring about his mental institution ever since Edna escaped him a second time. The only thing that mattered to him was that none of his patients would also escape. What did he care if his patients were not treated? It was enough to keep them, but paying for therapists? No, thank you, although he had recently started to hire a rather young therapist but he did so very rarely. The last time he declared a patient clinically sane was Moti a few years back. As far as he knew, he died not long after. He was also aware that Hoti was in prison but not where that guy in the aluminum outfit, the Key Master and especially Edna were. He had to find them, particularly the girl; she was going to pay for the death of his son and because of his disability and one lost eye. Because of her, he had to hire construction workers to add ramps for his wheelchair just so he could still keep his office on the topmost floor. Because of her, he had to renovate his office for it was defiled with ketchup, mustard, writings and spit about everywhere. One way or another, he was going to find her. Then he would take her rabbit, her Harvey, away and destroy him and he would erase her memories and rewrite her personality. He did not care if some people saw his methods as controversial; it worked on Alfred and many other people. In fact, Alfred was among his first test subjects. Doctor Marcel never wanted children but he accepted it when his wife got pregnant and gave birth to their firstborn, Ruben. Around that time, Doctor Marcel had started developing his character correction method, which had reached its final stage around the time when he got his wife pregnant with Alfred. He spoke with his wife about trying his method on their sons, though Alfred was still unborn, but she refused, which led to a huge fight. She soon filed for a divorce and sole custody for their sons. He did not care; he knew he would find other test subjects. But of course, his ex-wife just had to get herself killed in a car accident. Because of this, he had to take care of his sons, though this change of events had some merits. Instead of looking for test subjects, he had two available. However, his correction of character did not work on Ruben. His oldest son was a disappointment, so he forced him to live in the basement and not interact with other people. Fortunately, his method worked on Alfred, making Doctor Marcel proud of his younger son. No more of this childish playing – for the most part – and running around and doing what he, Alfred, wanted. No, Doctor Marcel had a son he could raise to be just like himself. Unfortunately, Alfred was nevertheless in need of toys, but as long he would turn out the way the owner of the asylum liked, he would not mind. Actually, he did love his son at least a little. He would still go to the perpetually closed room each day to remember his son in silence. Alfred had a great future waiting for him but this Edna had to kill him. Oh, he was going to find her and she was going to pay. He just needed a plan...  
"Enter!", he called after hearing somebody knock. The door opened to reveal a large, blond man clad in blue. "What is it, Hulgor?"  
"Doctor Marcel, those loonies have another food fight down in the cafeteria."  
Doctor Marcel groaned. Could those walking definitions of incompetence not do something right for once? He turned around with his wheelchair, glaring daggers with his one eye at Hulgor.  
"So? THEN DO SOMETHING, YOU FOOL!", he bellowed, sending his employee running way from his office. As soon as Hulgor was gone, Doctor Marcel continued looking out the window. If his guards were just a little more intelligent, then the breakout from a few years ago would have never happened. But he was going to find Edna, no matter what; he did not particularly care for the Key Master and Aluman, though that would be a nice bonus.

* * *

Edna sat at her desk in her dark room, illuminated only by her desk lamp. She had spent all day long studying for her examination paper in English with Tina's help. Now and then, they had taken a break and watched a movie, in English on Tina's insistence as this would be good training for her. Now Edna could not get _Under The Sea_ out of her head. She was going to get back at her housemate, one way or another. But first, she had to go over her notes and then she would go to sleep.  
"This is boring!", Harvey complained. "Can't we do something fun, like mixing some random chemicals and see what happens?"  
"We can't, Harvey. I have to study and besides, we can't risk blowing up our home. If this were all Doctor Marcel's stuff, then I would have no problem with it", Edna replied curtly, looking up from her notes.  
"Man, you used to be so fun. Now you're just boring", the stuffed rabbit groaned. He was met by a glare from Edna:  
"Harvey, I can't just be a child forever. I have to grow up some time and I need a proper graduation and a job for a good future."  
This time, she received no answer from her old friend. Edna used to silence to go back to her notes and went over them for another hour until she went to bed.

* * *

He could just not understand it. For years, he had been trying to find the girl but so far, he had not succeeded. How did she manage to escape him? He was the Key Master; he was more intelligent than anyone else from the asylum. But maybe this was his problem... Edna was the only person, aside from him, who was actually intelligent. This could be the reason why he could not find her yet. He had to think like Edna if he was ever going to find her. However, he was soon faced with another problem. How did Edna think? All he knew was that she kept talking to her stuffed rabbit and that she feared he would kill a person with whatever object she would show him. He remembered how she would suspect some ludicrous thing whenever she showed him something like a scissor or a fork, with some amusement. Oh, and he remembered she was set on returning home to find evidence that her father was innocent. The Key Master now wondered if she ever did go to her childhood home... Well, this was not important now.  
"Franz, what is this big house over there?", a woman, who walked past the place the Key Master was hiding in, asked her boyfriend.  
"Oh, that is the convent school, darling. It was closed down a few years ago", the man replied. Like a carnivore stalking its prey, the Key Master watched them from the shadows as the couple disappeared from his view. He could just drag them in the shadows and kill them but he held back, like he did for a few years now. It was far more difficult to kill more than one person in public, as opposed to a private home, and he had another, far more important matter, on his mind. Of course, no one would think of looking for Edna in a convent school. Swiftly and silently, he kept himself in shadows as he made his way towards the convent school. If Edna was not there, he would need to find another likely place...

* * *

Speaking of Edna, she was home from a stressful day at school. She had one examination paper in English, as well as a test in History and Mathematics. Fortunately, she had a good feeling about English, courtesy of Tina, and about History too. However, Edna did not feel so sure about Mathematics. During the test, she often found herself wishing Alfred was still alive. He could have helped her with studying. Then again, if he was alive, she would have finished school years ago and maybe have a job. A sob escaped from Edna, which she tried to repress. She held it back earlier during the test, but now, with only Harvey in close proximity, she could not hold back.  
"Edna, what's wrong?", Harvey asked, clearly worried about his friend.  
"It's just... Alfred...", Edna replied, wiping a single tear away.  
"What about him?"  
"He was obnoxious, a jerk, an annoying wimp; a frog-faced, klutzy, teacher-lovin', snitchin', boring shit-ass... and a snitching frog... but I still miss him..."  
She looked down on her lap with her eyes half-closed, not bothering to force back her tears. Harvey approached his sad friend and laid his head on her lap, ending up in her arms a second later. It was like their argument from the day before never happened. For the moment, it was only them, two old friends who braved many dangers and sacrificed so much for a life in freedom.  
"I'm sorry about last night, Harvey... It's just... I want for us to have a bright future. One as far away from Doctor Marcel as possible..."  
"Hey, it's okay, Edna. We're still friends and will always be."  
Edna gave her blue, stuffed, lagomorph friend a tiny smile.  
"Yes, we will be. Thanks, little buddy."  
Her little talk with Harvey made her feel better. At times like these, she was glad to have such a great friend to talk to. She did not get along well with many of her classmates; they all thought of her as loony but this was not the reason. Most did not feel comfortable trying to get close to someone several years their senior. It also did not help that the daughter of a wealthy business man had some students in the grade turn against Edna. But as long as she had Harvey and Tina, who had become a great friend, and a few friends she had she was not all that bothered by it. She knew she could count on them and that meant for her a lot more than a thousand unreliable friends.  
"I'm back home", she heard Tina call from the hallway. Edna stood up, still holding Harvey close, and left her room to greet her friend.  
"Hi, Edna", the older one of the two girls greeted her while taking off her shoes. "How did your English exam go?"  
"Pretty good, but I couldn't remember the answer to the question about the name of the ship from _Treasure Island_ ", Edna replied.  
"That's the Hispaniola. I have the book in English, if you're interested", Tina told her as they made their way to the living room. Without waiting for an answer, she went on: "By the way, I have an idea. How about a nice day at the beach this weekend, if the weather's warm and sunny?"  
"I would like this, but I need a bikini or a swimsuit", Edna replied, who had neither.  
"Well, looks like we got some shopping to do."  
A few minutes later, both girls found themselves in Tina's car on the way to the next boutique. They went shopping for clothes before, when Edna was in need of clothes that did not belong to her parents. She did not mind wearing their garments but she did not feel comfortable at all when she had to wear her mother's underwear when she had little to no undergarments of her own. All she had after her escape was nothing more than lilac panties in case of undergarments, so wearing her mother's underwear was just a temporary solution. But it had been a while since she and Tina last went out together. It was kind of nice. The ride was not long and soon, they arrived at a big store. The store windows showed dummies wearing elegant dresses, handsome suits and casual wear. A giant sign above the double doors read in large, royal blue letters: _Boutique de Vêtement – Clothes For All Occasions_. Tina found a parking space only moments after arriving and another moment later, they were both inside the store.  
"Let's see... where's the beach fashion...?", Tina mumbled while scanning a map just a few meters away from the entrance. Edna was looking too until she pointed to an area somewhere on the third floor.  
"There it is."  
Now knowing where to find beach fashion, they used the escalators to get up to the third floor. Edna felt like she landed in a paint box, so many colors everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Bathing suits, bikinis, swimming trunks in all sizes and colors; beach balls, volleyballs, surfboards and so many other objects for a nice day at the beach filled the shelves. No doubt everyone could find what they need here. Edna had a vague idea how her bathing suit or bikini should look like. She did not want anything extravagant; something simple would be more to her liking. She walked with Tina leisurely through the rows of bikinis and bathing suits. Now and then, her friend would point at one but Edna either declined or just shrugged. Most of the things Tina pointed at were in bright colors and, frankly, Edna did not want to feel like a walking neon sign.  
"How about this one?", Tina called from behind her. Edna turned around to her friend to see her holding a dark purple bikini. Edna stared at it with big eyes; this was just what she wanted! No bright colors, no ridiculous prints. It was perfect, as if it was made just for her.  
"Oh yes! I like it", the former patient of a mental institution replied with a big, toothy grin.  
"Well, then it seems we found everything we need. Or do you need anything else?"  
It turned out that Edna could need a beach towel and sandals. Tina also remembered that they should buy sunscreen, unless they want to end up looking like a giant crab on two legs.  
"Why not? That would be awesome", Edna giggled.  
"Nah. Besides, red's not my color", Tina shrugged as they walked to the cash register. They paid for the products and left the boutique. On their way home, they decided to get a pizza for dinner.

* * *

The Key Master had arrived at the abandoned convent school but, looking at the place, he had a feeling he was not going to find her. There was something about it that told him it was as empty as Hulgor's brain, if that guy had one. He could not see any indication of someone being there; nevertheless he was going to look through the place, just to be sure. It would be foolish not to check the school in case she was actually there. That was something he had learned while he was on the run; always be a hundred percent sure of everything. One case of carelessness could mean back to the asylum and who could knew what Doctor Marcel would do to him. Yes, he, the Key Master, did say he did not belong in freedom but ever since he was free and not condemned in a solitary cell, he had no desire of going back. If only he could relish his freedom without being on the run. It was so refreshing, so rejuvenating, to be outside again that he almost forgot why he was in solitary confinement in the asylum. Still, he remembered and will always remember. He was a murderer, a ruthless killer with no regards of the feelings of his victims' loved ones. Even so, try as he might, he was unable to remember the circumstances of the murder he committed that brought him into the mental institution in the first place...  
Careful not to make a sound, the Key Master entered the old convent school. He kept himself out of the moonlight; he did not long to be seen by anyone. Once he found Edna, he would... he would... The Key Master paused. What did he plan to do once he found her? All those years, he had been so obsessed with finding her; he never spared a thought of what he was going to do when found her. Would he kill her? Well, seeing that he actually killed to get new clothes – then again, if the owner had not found him, he would still be alive – and if he had been asked the question a few years ago, he would say yes with no hesitation. But now, he was not so sure anymore. Had he changed? What was so special about a girl ten years – give or take a year or two – younger than him? Nothing, except that she always managed to counter Doctor Marcel erasure of her memories and she was smart, unlike the other inmates. Perhaps it was because he found something like an equal in her. One, who did not go around killing people. If he thought about it, she was somewhat special. But no, he must not think that. For now, he should just focus on his task of finding her...  
It was pitch-black in the convent, save of the silver lights from the moon shining in through the windows. The first thing he noticed in the silver light was a single chandelier in the middle of the entrance hall, as if someone had unscrewed it. There was something eerie and foreboding about this place, as if the ghosts of those who died here were wandering around, unseen by mere mortals. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound, save for the occasional rat the Key Master saw. Cobwebs were in every nook and cranny; layers of dust muffled his steps; it was obvious no one had been here for a long time. Every room in this school looked like this. In one corridor, he found a crushed gargoyle statue that looked like it fell down from somewhere and, when he looked up to see where it came from, he could make out a sword, fitted in the minute hand of the clock, in the moonlight. What was it doing there? What had happened here for this place to be in such a state? The Key Master entered a single classroom, though it showed nothing of interest; there was nothing, except desks and chairs, an empty display cabinet and the blackboard. He left the room and entered another one, which seemed to be a storeroom. Whoever abandoned this place did not seem keen to take all this stuff with them...  
He kept going through every room, not finding a single person. The last room he checked seemed to be the chapel. For some reason, the cross had toppled over and destroyed a part of the floor. The door of the confessional box was slightly ajar. Doubting he would find anything of interest, he opened it further and entered, almost falling down stairs he did not see. Wait a minute... stairs? Well, he had a flashlight – stolen, of course – so he turned it on and walked down the steps through the secret passage to a hiding place. This would have been a good place for someone to hide, but this room also showed signs of not having been inhabited for years. Well, it did not seem anyone would be here, so he decided to leave. He did not want to spend the night here for he had no desire to be gnawed at by rats and having spiders laying their eggs in his ear.

* * *

Edna and Tina spent the rest of the day watching movies and then _Who Wants To Be Millionaire_. The former had no homework and no further tests were announced for the rest of the week, so she decided to relax for the day. Of course, she would go through her notes before going to bed; she was not that irresponsible. For now, they ate some snacks, the empty pizza box lay on the coffee table, and tried guessing the answers to the question.  
"Sheesh, this question is so easy!", Tina exclaimed, rolling her eyes. The question was what Snow White's stepmother wanted the hunter to bring her as proof that he killed her. "It's the heart, you idiot!"  
Yet, despite her shouting at the television, the candidate could not hear her and picked "kidney". The candidate left with only five hundred Euros.  
"Even I knew this, and I didn't read fairytales in my childhood", Edna, who was holding Harvey, commented while the selection process for the next candidate took place. The other day, she sat here in the living room to make a new clay sculpture while Tina was watching the Disney version of _Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs_. It had been inevitable to pick up some of the dialogue, so Edna heard the part with the heart.  
"I have Grimm's fairytales. You could read them if you want to", Tina offered her friend. But Edna just shrugged and shook her head.  
"No thank you. But thanks for the offer."  
"Yeah, and there's nothing burning in fairytales. Booooooring", Harvey commented.  
"Harvey!", Edna said to her lagomorph friend reprovingly.  
"What did he say?", Tina asked curiously as a commercial break began.  
"Oh, just that fairytales are boring. Nothing dramatic", Edna replied, looking reprovingly at the blue rabbit. Her housemate shrugged before bending forward to the coffee table to grab some chips. Tina's green eyes wandered over to Harvey while she munched her snack.  
"Say, how did you get Harvey?", she asked after swallowing the chips. She stared intently at Edna, as if trying to drill her head open and to extract the memory from her brain. Edna raised an eyebrow when she noticed the way Tina was looking at her, but her expression soon changed into a faraway look:  
"I don't know... I think I had him for as long as I can remember, maybe even longer..."  
"And you will always have me!", the stuffed, blue lagomorph exclaimed joyfully. Edna smiled at him, still with a faraway look in her eyes. It was hard for her when she was separated from him after her escape but now she was going to make sure they would never be apart again. She and Harvey were a team, nothing was impossible if they were together, except maybe traveling to the moon without the need of spacesuits.  
Nothing of importance happened for the rest of the week. Edna got her test in History and in Mathematics back. She was overjoyed for the B plus she got in the former but disappointed that she barely scrapped a C in Mathematics. She was supposed to hold a presentation about Goethe for next Friday and they had started reading _Faust I_ in German class. A few of her classmates had groaned that they started with this topic so late in the school year instead of early the following. But Edna did not care when they would go through the topic, as long as she would graduate at last. At the moment, on this sunny Friday afternoon, she sat at her laptop and worked on her presentation. The sooner she was done with it, the better, although she did not intend to work on it all day long, just for an hour or two. Then she would take a walk through town to enjoy this nice weather.  
"Born... August twenty-eighth, 1749 in Frankfurt am Main... son of a highly educated jurist... was mainly educated by his father...", she mumbled to herself as she typed in the information she found on the Internet. She would just make a rough draft first before refining it. Harvey, meanwhile, lay on her bed, quiet for once. Edna was thankful for it, for she had no desire to have another fight with him. Besides, she promised him they would go to the park. So, able to work without any disturbances, Edna quickly prepared her presentation, saving and closing her document when she reached the part about Goethe's friendship with Charlotte von Stein.  
"We can go now, Harvey", the young woman told her friend after turning off her laptop.  
"Yay!"

It was a fine day in May, not too hot but not cold at all. The sun shone brightly, bathing everything in its warm light. There were hardly any clouds in the bright blue, endless sky, except for a few fluffy ones like flying sheep. Edna hoped the weather would be like this the next day, or even better on the weekend. It would be nice to go to the beach again. Last time she was there was two weeks before Alfred's death. His father had been away at a convention in Great Britain, so he had left his son, rather reluctantly, in the care of Mattis Konrad. Edna had been forced to share her room with him, which had led to fights more often than not. One time, she had hidden crumbs under his bed sheet; he had been unable to sleep at all that night. The following morning, he had behaved like he was from the fairytale _The Princess And The Pea_. Her father had found the crumbs when he checked the camp bed; it had ended with no dessert for Edna that day and they were going to have one of her favorites – chocolate pudding. Still, their day at the beach was one of the fondest memories she had regained ever since she fled the asylum. They had had a lot of fun that day, swimming in the sea, playing with a beach ball and her pulling Alfred underwater now and then. After lunch, he had gone to sleep and Edna had used to opportunity to build a big sandcastle on him, so that only his head was sticking out of it. She still did not know how he could sleep through all this; nevertheless, his panicky reaction when he realized he could not move was priceless. Later that day, when Alfred was freed, Edna had bought ice cream for him and for herself and her father had actually taken a picture of them eating the cold sweetness. Actually, they had taken a lot of pictures.  
Edna sighed as she sat down on a bench near a pond. She wished she could go back to the day; everything was brighter and happier back then.  
"What's wrong, Edna?", a concerned Harvey asked. For a moment, Edna did not answer, instead she opted to watch the ducks swimming and waddling around. Eventually, she replied:  
"I was just thinking about the day when Mattis, Alfred and I were at the beach... You know, a few weeks before I killed Alfred", she added upon noticing Harvey's puzzled look.  
"Oh", he replied, comprehension dawning on his face. "I wasn't there, but I remember you telling me it was the best day at the beach ever."  
"It was", Edna confirmed. "Mattis took a lot of pictures at the beach. I wonder if our old photo book is still in our old house..."  
She had been wondering about this for quite some time now. Back then, when she returned to her childhood home to find some new clothes, she had not remained there for a long time. Just long enough to take her parents' clothes. She wanted to go back to there, with all her heart, but something was stopping her. It was the fear of how rundown the house would look like now or if it was even still standing. She was afraid of going back, only to find a new, modern house in its place and all of their old possessions thrown away.  
"Well, look who it is", a shrill, obnoxious voice jeered. Edna refrained herself from groaning and instead put on a fake smile before turning around to the owner of the voice:  
"Hello, Heike."  
Heike was a classmate of Edna. She had platinum blond hair, icy blue eyes and usually looked she was smelling dung. Her beak-like nose was always pointed up, giving her the impression of being conceited, which was true in Edna's opinion.  
"Nutty Edna, unfashionable as always", Heike said, or rather screeched. A sneer formed on her thin face when she noticed the blue rabbit in Edna's arms. "Oh my, you're still playing with plush animals?"  
Heike's shrill laugh could be heard from miles away. She laughed in a frequency that should be heard only by dogs and bats. In fact, a female dog suddenly appeared next to her. Edna was seething, ever since the first day they knew each other, Heike had belittled her because she was different from all the other girls. Some of them were on Heike's side, but at least a couple did not mind Edna's eccentricities and most kept themselves out of this.  
"No wonder you're still single. Who would want a girl like you? I mean, look at you; you're ugly, your hair is a catastrophe –"  
"Wow, you know the word 'catastrophe'", Edna sarcastically remarked.  
"– you have no sense of fashion and you never wear make-up. You're going to die as a lonely, old woman and no one will mourn you."  
Edna glared at Heike, wishing she could set her hair on fire. She thought Alfred was annoying, but compared to her, he was easy to get along with.  
"Let me at her! Let me at her!", Harvey angrily snapped only for Edna to hold him back.  
"Not now, Harvey", she said in a low voice, unheard by the other girl for she was now giving a long rant about what made her so perfect. Edna stood up and walked away, saying in a raised voice:  
"I better forsake this female dog by herself and her shadow, and I'm not talking about the quadruped."  
She and Harvey, as well as the dog, were long gone by the time Heike could comprehend what she meant, if she could ever comprehend it at all.

* * *

In the early morning hours, while it was still dark out, after his failed excursion to the abandoned convent school, the Key Master wandered down the path to a four-way fork. Not really paying attention where he was going, he took the path on his left hand side, which led him to the quagmire. Not a single human, or other life forms, was in sight, just the Moor Lake and plants as well as a cave. In front of said cave stood a sign depicting skull and crossbones. Normally, people would not enter a place with such a sign at the entrance, but the Key Master had a feeling that there was nothing to fear. This was confirmed when he entered the cave and went deeper inside. He had his arms outstretched to prevent himself from colliding against a wall or something, as it was rather dark and the battery of his flashlight died when he looked for Edna in the convent school. It was hard to see anything, though he could make out shapes once his eyes adapted to the darkness. There were two jars sitting on protrusion of the cave wall, something large and soft-looking was placed right next to a wall, and something that looked like a telescope next to it. The Key Master headed towards the large, soft thing and sat down on it. Well, at least this was a good place to spend the night, for it was unlikely anyone would find him here. His eyelids became heavier... He needed sleep... He needed the energy to avoid the authorities...

* * *

By the time the following morning broke, Edna had pushed her encounter with Heike to the back of her mind and not thought about it. It was no good to dwell on it; she certainly would not give her the satisfaction to know her words have any effects on her, Edna. Besides, she had something better to think about, her day at the beach with Tina. The moment Edna looked out of her window after waking up, she knew it was going to be a warm day. This time, she could enjoy this warm weather; nothing could stop her from it. No long hours at school, no Mister Hornbush to hold her back, no locked door and no asylum. For the first time in years, she fully realized she was free. Nothing would ever force her back to the mental institution, where she lost ten precious years of her life.  
"Excited for the beach, Edna?", Harvey asked her while she was looking for something to wear for the day. The dark haired woman turned around, holding a button-down shirt and a skirt, and beamed at him.  
"Of course I am. I mean, who wouldn't?"  
Then she turned back to her wardrobe and kept looking for clothes until she found an outfit she was satisfied with. It consisted of a pair of hot pants, a shirt that exposed her stomach, a vest and sneakers. However, she was not going to get dressed yet; first she packed her bag with her bikini, beach towel and sandals as well as other stuff she might need. After she was done, she went to the kitchen to get some breakfast; she decided on cornflakes. Tina joined her moments later, also choosing to eat cornflakes. They talked a little about the week they had, though Edna made no mention of her encounter with Heike in the park the day before. Tina, however, told her of how boring her job was and advised her to find a job she would sure enjoy.  
Later, after both had washed and gotten dressed, they were on the way to the beach. The place was a little far away from the town they lived in, so the ride was taking its time. Edna spent most of the time just napping and listening to music. She had forgotten how long the way was. Maybe she should consider moving closer to the beach once she found a job... or even live on an island. Maybe one with unexplored caverns, full of treasures of ancient times, and an underwater cavern with a submarine, so she could always secretly go to the mainland and back. Oh yes, that would be neat. But of course she would not be there alone; she would let her friends and other people she liked live with her on the island. People she could not stand, like Doctor Marcel or Heike, would be banned from her paradise.  
"Oh come on! MOVE YER BLOOMIN' ARSE!"  
Tina's sudden shout broke Edna out of her reverie. For a moment, she was confused why her friend was screaming in the first place before noticing an endless line of cars in front of them, barely moving.  
"Um, you do know those are cars, and not horses, right?". Edna pointed out.  
"I know, but screaming that made me feel better", Tina replied, not taking her eyes off the road. The line moved forward by about a meter. Edna groaned; this was going to take longer than expected...

* * *

A few things; I know it makes no sense for somebody in Edna's age to go to school but I thought "hey, she was eight years old when she ended up in the asylum, she has little to no education". So yeah, that's why I let her go to school.  
As for her housemate, I thought it would be a good idea to have someone who was willing to take Edna in and help her out in the real world. I gave her the name Tina because one of my favorite video game characters is Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI and her first name in the Japanese version happens to be Tina.


	3. Beach And Memories

**Chapter Three**

 **Beach And Memories**

While Edna and Tina were stuck in a traffic jam, a few acquaintances of the former were huddled in a corner of the recreation room. Late the previous night, Petra had snuck down to the kitchen to get some snacks. On her way, she nearly ran into Bladder and Hulgor holding a conversation. She only managed to avoid them by hiding behind a potted plant.  
"They say Doctor Marcel is obsessed with finding Edna. All he is ever doing is to think of a plan to get her back here", she told King Adrian, Drogglejug and the Beeman who was brought back to the asylum after he was found running around in a flower field while still wearing his bee costume. Even the sourpuss Peter, who sat near them, was listening attentively.  
"But why her? What is it about her that has him so obsessed?", the Beeman wondered, voicing what everyone else was probably thinking too.  
"Drogglejug..."  
Drogglejug shrugged and lifted his green pillow to scratch his head.  
"Yes, she wasn't the only one who escaped that day", Petra said. "There were also Aluman, Hoti and Moti... Oh, and the Key Master."  
"Speaking of the Key Master, Babbitt thinks he might have seen him the other day", Peter contributed to the conversation, speaking for the first time since the small group had gathered together. Everybody's eyes were drawn on him.  
"Speak, what do you know?", King Adrian demanded to know in his loud and booming voice, causing Professor Nock to look over to them.  
"Well, do you remember the other day when Babbitt had his day off to take part in a mini golf tournament?", Peter asked, continuing after everybody else nodded: "Well, when he brought me here to the recreation the day after the tournament, he kept asking himself whether he saw the Key Master or not. Apparently, he was gone before he could get a good look at him."  
An uneasy stillness fell over them as they all looked at each other. Would that mean the employees of the asylum would go look for the Key Master and bring him back, if Babbitt told them about this at all? As far as they knew, the tournament was not far from this village. However, none of them actually wanted him back, even if he was in solitary confinement. There were times when each of them had a glance at him and it was never pleasant. They felt he was quite creepy with his large, bulgy eyes, his haunting stare, and his pale green complexion. No, they would prefer if the Key Master would end up somewhere else...  
Petra coughed to get everyone's attention:  
"So... did Babbitt won the tournament?"

* * *

Edna and Tina were still stuck in the traffic jam, though it was slowly moving forward. The former had taken out a banana and she munched on it while watching some cattle in the distance. Tina, meanwhile, supported her head on her left arm and drummed with the fingers of her right hand on the steering wheel. Maybe they should have driven in the middle of the night...  
"Sheesh, how come there are always traffic jams on highways?", Tina grumbled to herself, glaring at the car in front of hers as if this was its fault. Edna simply shrugged, paying little to no attention to Tina's bad mood. It was better than to get into a heated discussion with her. She stowed the banana peel away in a plastic bag and shifted a little in her seat to get more comfortable. Then, closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep.  
Edna was woken up by Tina a few hours later.  
"Wake up, we're there."  
Edna slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times in the bright light. She rubbed her eyes and then yawned while stretching. After she had properly woken up, she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. Her stomach grumbled like a distant thunder.  
"I suggest we eat lunch first", Tina said with a smirk. Edna thought this was a good idea, so she agreed, and they both headed to a diner close to the beach. There was a line at the counter, fortunately it was not as long as the line of cars earlier. Still, it involved waiting for some time, so both used the time to look at the menu and to decide on what they want. By the time it was their turn, Tina ordered a hamburger and a salad, while Edna had decided on fish sticks and fries. Their beverages consisted of a Sprite and a Cola, respectively. The kind-looking, portly woman at the counter handed them their drinks and told them to wait for their orders for a moment.  
"I go look for a table for us", Tina told her Edna and left her alone. Edna watched her friend going outside with their beverages. Perhaps she was going to sit at one of the tables out there, Edna reckoned. The young woman looked around as she waited. This place looked familiar to her, though everything seemed to be much smaller. At the moment, she wished she had taken Harvey with, maybe he could tempomorph her into her past. It was frustrating; bits and pieces of her memory had returned ever since she stopped being exposed to a continuous erasure of her memory but there was still a lot she could not recall. She sighed and decided to look out of the window, watching people passing by. They looked all so happy and carefree, no worries about a continuous memory loss for ten years. At least, that was how Edna thought about them.  
"Sweetie, your orders are ready", the portly woman called her. Edna walked over and took the orders, whereby she noticed there was something familiar about this woman, too. However, she did not want to think too much about this – it would certainly come to her, sooner or later. She instead thanked her and went outside to join Tina. She spotted her sitting at a table beneath a parasol with a clear view to the sea.  
"Ah thank you", Tina said after she received her burger and salad. Edna, however, was staring at the glasses, for Tina had put drip mats on them.  
"Oh, just a precaution to prevent flies and such from using our drinks as a swimming pool", she replied to Edna's quizzical look.

The large fiery ball known as the sun shone at its highest point by the time to young women decided to take a walk to digest their lunch. Tina had her camera with her and kept taking pictures. Sometimes, Edna would take a photo of her or Tina would ask a person if they could take photo of her and Edna. By the time they returned to the car to get their stuff, she had taken countless pictures of them, the landscape, seagulls and one of two seagulls fighting over a fish sandwich. She put her camera away in her pocket before taking a large bag and a beach umbrella out of the trunk. Edna took out her bag and closed the trunk and followed her friend to the beach. They spread out a giant beach towel approximately ten meters away from the water. While Tina was putting up the umbrella, Edna took her bikini and sandals out of her bag. She did not want to get changed out in the open where everyone could see her, so she looked around for some changing stalls. She found some to the north-west of where they were and hurried over there. She took off her clothes and sneakers and quickly put on her bikini and sandals. Afterwards, she returned to Tina, who then walked over to the changing stalls. Edna stored her clothes into her bag and put her sneakers next to it and then applied sunscreen on her body. It was kind of weird for her to run around like this in public; she felt much more exposed than she did when she broke out. The white gown at least covered up her front and only exposed her back and lilac panties. But now, she only barely covered up her female body parts... Oh well, she was going to live with this. She wanted to go to the beach, no point in backing down now. Furthermore, if other women can walk around like that in public bathing areas, then there was no reason why she could not either. She just had to get used to it.  
"I'm back", Tina announced, sitting next to Edna. She noticed the blond had her camera in her hands again. "Do you want me to apply sunscreen on your back?"  
"Yes, please", Edna replied and turned her back to Tina, moving her hair out of the way while her friend applied the sunscreen. She then did the same to Tina once she was done.  
"By the way, why have you taken out your camera again? Have you seen something picturesque that I haven't noticed?"  
"Oh, I just took a photo of you while you weren't looking", Tina replied nonchalantly. Edna gaped at her, at a lost for words. Could she not at least have asked? Tina, however, did not seem to notice the other woman's shock but instead showed Edna the picture she had taken of her. The dark haired woman peeked at the camera display. It showed her sitting in tailor-fashion and her head turned to her left arm where she was applying sunscreen on.  
"What do you think?", Tina asked while taking her camera back. She once again pushed a few buttons and then stored it in her bag.  
"Lookin' good", Edna admitted. Even though she was not happy of having her picture taken without her permission, she nonetheless thought it would be immature to declare it as terrible. "But next time, ask for permission, okay?"  
"Okay, I promise."  
It suddenly occurred to Edna that it was the first time she saw a picture of her adult self and not of herself as a child. It felt kind of unreal... Her eyes were not as bulgy as they were when she looked in the mirror at the time of her breakout. Still, she was not going to burden Tina with that rather useless bit of information. Instead she sped to the direction of the sea:  
"Come on, last one in the water is a fire breathing, water-dwelling, giant carnivore from outer space!"  
"Hey! Wait for me!", Tina shouted after her, running after Edna. People had to jump out of the way as to not get run over by these two. A couple of elderly shook their heads at this display of childish behavior. Younger folk, however, looked behind them as if they had not comprehended who or what almost ran them over. Edna reached the water and jumped in with a big splash, Tina jumped in a moment later.  
"Looks like you're the fire breathing, water-dwelling, giant carnivore from outer space", Edna grinned.  
"Does my diet contain humanoid flesh? If so, then I'm gonna eat ya!", Tina hissed the last part like a cat and jumped at Edna with outstretched arms while saying this. Edna swam away from her, silently thanking whatever deity she could think of that she had not forgotten how to swim. She looked behind her to see Tina giving chase with a fierce look on her face. Well, two can play the game and Edna had a plan how she would play. She took a deep breath and took a dive. It was hard to see anything below the surface, like she had suddenly become myopic. In hopes it was the right one, she swam in one direction, one arm stretched out. Like a blind person, she tried to feel for an obstacle or Tina's leg. Her hand bumped into something and, a second later, she saw it was something that looked like a leg. She had no idea if this was her friend or a stranger, still she pulled whoever it was down and then swam away before resurfacing. She took her time to inhale oxygen before turning around to see who she just pulled under water. To her delight, she realized it was Tina who resurfaced with a startled expression on her face. Edna giggled, drawing Tina's eyes on her.  
"You!", she growled and swam after Edna, who once again swam away. "I'm gonna get ya!"  
Tina actually managed to catch up to Edna. Then again, she was getting exhausted from swimming as fast as she could. Eventually, she stopped and just floated on the spot, waiting for Tina to catch up to her.  
"Ha! Gotcha!", she triumphantly exclaimed as she grabbed Edna's shoulder. The dark haired woman just smiled at her.  
"Yeah, you got me. How about we take a break?", Edna suggested, already swimming to the shore. Tina shrugged as if to say why not and followed her.

* * *

It was around afternoon when the Key Master awoke at last. Of course, he had no watch, so he was unaware of this; all he knew was that it was bright outside, judging from the light coming in from the cave entrance. It was now easier to see the inside of the cave, though it was not as bright in this cave as it was outside. He looked around to take in those things he could not see the previous night. Countless burned down candles were melted on the walls, three or four sheets of paper were taped on the wall, and inside the jars were dead fireflies. He spotted two crates, one to his left and the other one to his right, and he also noticed that one thing he could barely recognize when he first entered the cave was indeed a telescope. He stood up and looked through it and saw it was directed to a bridge not very far from here. On the horizon, he could see the mental institution. Well, if an escapee from this place were to hide in this cave, it sure would be a good idea to keep an eye on the asylum, he reckoned. The Key Master sat back down on the thing he spent the night on, which was revealed to be a big, green bean bag chair that looked like it came from the bulk garbage. Across from it, on the ground, he saw an old, blue sleeping bag and, next to it, a note. He picked it up, wondering if this could give him a clue who used this place as a hideout:

 _Lilli! Help!  
I'm being devoured alive by a giant tentacled creature!  
Argh! Urgh!  
*dum dum dum duuuuum*  
He he.  
Just kidding. I'm fine.  
I was just watching the bridge down by the river through my telescope.  
Doctor Marcel's minions seem to be planning something.  
I'll check it out up close. If I don't return, you have to get help!  
But don't worry, I'll be careful.  
Where are my kettledrum and my strobe flashlight? Damn...  
Well... see you soon.  
Toodeloo._

Well, so much for this. For all the Key Master knew, the person who wrote this was captured by Doctor Marcel's minions and brought to the asylum or just had no need for this hideout anymore. All he could decipher from the note was that the writer was a little crazy and friends with a person called Lilli. But judging from the condition of the note, this happened a few years ago. So, who knew where this Lilli and the writer were now. No, this note gave him no idea who previously occupied the hideout, though he had an inkling...

* * *

Around late afternoon, Edna and Tina changed and packed their stuff and went back to the car. After their rest, they swam some more, ate ice cream and took a walk until they had decided to return home. It was a fun day for Edna; she had forgotten about her stress with school work and not thought about her father and Alfred. It felt good to not think about this, at least for a few hours. But now it was time to return to reality, as she sadly noted while getting into the car. She could not understand it at all. She was free as she noted in the morning, so why did she suddenly feel so empty inside? She kind of wished the day would never end, just so she would not have to think about all this.  
"Edna? Hey, Edna!"  
"Huh? What?", Edna looked around in confusion, not having noticed Tina talking to her. The older woman looked at her in concern and repeated her question:  
"I was asking if you have to work tonight."  
"Oh... uh, yes. Yes, I have to work."  
"If you want me to, I could drive you to work. How about it?", Tina offered while starting the car.  
"I would like you to", Edna replied with a tiny smile. Then she shifted into a more comfortable position and slept all the way home.  
Edna was seven years old again. Her hair was lighter and reached all the way down to her waist, and it was adorned with a lavender hair band. She wore a lilac shirt and a black skirt, with black and yellow stockings and black shoes. A gray sweater was tied around her waist. It was a warm sunny day in July. Birds were merrily singing in the trees, the sun shone high in the beautiful azure sky. It had rained the day before, so there was still mud here and there, though Edna did not mind. She liked playing in the mud, she liked the cool feeling on her skin on a hot Summer day and she liked it because it was dirty. She did not get along with other girls in this village; they all thought of her as crazy and were disgusted by her fondness of everything dirty. Oh well, Edna had at least Harvey and he liked her just the way she was, no ifs and buts.  
"WOOOO-HOOOO!", Edna cheered as she jumped into a puddle of mud. Mud splashed everywhere upon impact and she was covered from head to toe with it.  
"MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!", Harvey exclaimed, making Edna laugh. She threw one clump into the air, watching it as it rejoined the puddle once again.  
"EDNA! Oh Edna!", an obnoxious voice called. Edna groaned.  
"What does that toad want now?", Harvey asked in annoyance, voicing exactly what Edna was thinking. She looked up to see a boy around her age walking towards her. He had a face that reminded her of a frog or a toad and his hair was brown. His clothes consisted of a light blue polo shirt and a dark blue pair of shorts, and black and white sneakers. The boy carried a ball in his arm. His name was Alfred Marcel and he was probably the only person she ever played with, aside from Harvey. Then again, her father made her play with him.  
"Look, Edna! Look! Edna! I got a new ball!", the boy exclaimed, almost shoving his new toy into Edna's face. She backed away a little and looked at the ball before her eyes wandered to Alfred.  
"That's nice", she said through gritted teeth.  
"Play with me", this was more of a demand than a request. Edna glared at the boy, knowing he would keep annoying her if she refused. It was not like she hated playing with him; it was just that his idea of fun was rather boring. After all, what kid thought an ant farm or playing hit the pot was fun? At least he helped her out if she did not understand something in school, so he was not that bad.  
"Alright", Edna sighed and got out of the mud puddle. She took Harvey with her and leaned her stuffed rabbit against the exterior wall.  
"Alright, we can begin", she told Alfred once she was in position.  
"Okay", he responded and threw the ball at her. Edna caught it and threw it back, though Alfred failed to catch it. It went on like this for at least half an hour until the ball, which Alfred once again did not catch, rolled out to the sidewalk, where a couple of boys just walked past. Alfred ran after his ball, which was picked up by those boys.  
"Well, look who it is", the boy holding the ball jeered while his friend grinned stupidly. "The Marcel wuss!"  
"Give me back my ball", Alfred demanded, or rather whined.  
"Give me back my ball", the boy without the toy mocked. Alfred tried to grab his ball but the bully jumped out of the way and threw it to his friend. He threw it back to the other when Alfred ran to him, laughing at him.  
"Hey! Leave him alone!"  
Edna had appeared to see what was Alfred taking so long and saw him being bullied by two bullies.  
"Ooooh, a little girl! How scary!", one of them said in mock scare.  
"What can a little girl like you do?", the other sneered, holding the ball high above his head. Edna's response was a swift kick in his groin, making him double over in pain and drop the ball. Alfred grabbed it and ran back to her yard. The bully's friend tried to attack her but she was quicker and ended up blackening his eye. The first one hit her on the back of her head with his fist, causing her to fall forward. She recovered quickly and retaliated, knocking a tooth out. She kept hitting the two boys, receiving a few blows in return until...  
"Edna! What in the name of heaven are you doing?"  
It was Mattis, who had returned from his errands in the village. He looked aghast at his daughter, who held a boy by his collar and was just about to hit him on the nose.  
"Let the boy go, young lady!", he said sternly. "And go to your room."  
Edna sighed and did what she was told while the two boys tried to get away from this place as fast as they could.  
Once they were gone, Alfred, who held Harvey and his ball in his arms, approached Mattis.  
"Mister Konrad?", he said, startling the older man.  
"Oh it's you, Alfred. I'm sorry but I have no time. I need to punish Edna for her undisciplined behavior", he told the boy while entering his house.  
"But Mister Konrad, it's not like you think it was", Alfred, who had followed him, argued. Mattis stared at him curiously:  
"So? What happened then?"  
"These two were bullying me, Edna was just standing up to me."  
"Hm, well that changes the situation...", Mattis mumbled, more to himself. Then he addressed Alfred directly: "Thank you for telling me this, but you should better go home. Your father is going to be worried."  
"Okay, but could you please give her her rabbit back?", Alfred handed Harvey over. "And tell her thanks?"  
"Will do, Alfred. See you."  
"See you, Mister Konrad", said Alfred and left.  
And adult Edna awoke from her nap, just a few minutes before she and Tina reached their apartment.

Edna was puzzled about her dream. It seemed so real, like it actually happened in her childhood. But then, how come she saw two scenarios she could not have seen in the first place? She was not present until late when those bullies picked on Alfred and there was no trace of her either during his conversation with her father. Was this dream a memory or just that – a dream? Edna just did not know what to think. For now, she had to push it to the back of her mind, she had to get ready for work.  
She and Tina reached their apartment and Edna went straight to her room, where she was greeted by Harvey:  
"Hey Edna, how was your day at the beach?"  
"It was fun!", Edna replied in joy before her face became serious. "But there's something I have to talk to you about, after work."  
She said the last part as if she only just remembered it. She did not wait for Harvey to reply, instead she looked for her work clothes and went to the bathroom for a quick shower and to change her clothes. A few minutes later, Tina, who had packed her a sandwich and something to drink, drove her to work.  
"Your bikini and towel are still in your bag, right?", the slightly chubby girl asked, to which Edna nodded in confirmation. "Alright, I will take them out and hang them up for drying, okay?"  
"Okay... see you later, Tina."  
"Yeah, see you later."  
And so, Tina drove home while Edna entered the little restaurant.  
There was only one other person in the employees only area – Anika, a black girl with black curly hair, though it was tied together in a ponytail. Her mother was African and her father was German, but she came more after her mother, who worked as a doctor in the local hospital and taught her daughter a lot about medicine. Anika was going to start her medical studies in August or September, Edna was not really sure when. Until then, she worked as a waitress to have something to do and to earn some money. Anika smiled and waved at Edna once her brown eyes spotted her.  
"Hi Edna, how was your day?"  
"It was fun, me and Tina were at the beach. What about you?"  
"Oh it was nice, hung out with some friends", Anika told her while they both walked to the main area of the Mare de Sol. There was no time for small talk anymore, for they had to start working right away. Edna went to wait on an elderly couple while Anika headed for a group of middle-aged women.  
"Oh I have the spaghetti Carbonara and water, Miss", said the gray-haired, bearded man the moment Edna gave him and his wife the menu.  
"And I'll have Zigeunerschnitzel, with potatoes and a salad, please. Oh, and apple juice", his wife, a short-haired, bespectacled woman, ordered. Edna made a note of all this:  
"I'll be right back with your beverages."  
She went to the kitchen to give the cooks the elderly couple's order before getting the ordered drinks from the bar. A colleague, who was doing the same thing, unsmilingly nodded at her in acknowledgement and then went to serve his guests orange juice and Fanta. Edna was aware that she was not well-liked but she did not mind; she never had many friends. Besides, she preferred the company of people who liked the way she was, and not who would like her if she would change. Tina and Anika were good friends, in her opinion; they readily accepted her, even if she was a little loony. Edna smiled to herself as she thought about what Tina told her mere days after she moved into the older girl's apartment.  
"So what if you're a little crazy? There's nothing wrong with it, and I like crazy. Life's more fun when you're a little loony", she had said back then.  
With her mood now uplifted, she filled two glasses and served the elderly couple their drinks.

A few hours passed and soon, Edna was back home. The first thing she did was to change into her pajamas and to see Harvey. She had told him she had something to talk about but before she could address this, Tina knocked on her door:  
"Hey, I'm going to watch a _Star Trek TNG_ episode or two. Do you and Harvey want to join me?"  
"Hm what do you think, Harv?", Edna asked her blue friend.  
"Sure, why not?", he responded. The former patient of a mental institution turned to her friend to reply:  
"Yes, we'll watch _Star Trek_ with you."  
Tina smirked and disappeared, likely to prepare everything. Edna took Harvey in her arms and followed her friend, who was setting up snacks. The DVD was already in the player and the episode _Darmok_ was selected. Edna sat down on the couch, setting Harvey next to her, and grabbed for the remote.  
"Is this the episode you want to watch?", she questioned, her thumb on the "OK" button just in case.  
"Yup", Tina confirmed, carrying two glasses and a bottle of soda. She placed the former on the table and the latter under it. Then she sat next to Harvey, pointed at the screen and said: "Engage!"  
Edna pressed on the "OK" button and the episode started. It was an interesting episode, about a species that only communicated by using metaphors, which the crew of the Enterprise could not understand. Likewise, this particular species was unable to understand the Enterprise crew's straightforward usage of words. Both Captain Picard and the captain of the other ship were transported to the nearby planet and, after much difficulty, were able to understand each other.  
"You know, the name of that character from that epic Picard recounted – Gilgamesh, I think it was – sounded familiar", Edna mentioned after the episode was over and Tina was changing the DVDs.  
"There's a character named Gilgamesh in some of my games", Tina explained while sitting back down. "But you have to admit, it's kinda cool to communicate with only metaphors. It's almost like a secret language not everyone would get, if you just know what expressions to use. Like Crusher's example with Juliet on the balcony. Or how about 'Rapunzel in her tower'? Um, for either 'living in isolation' or 'little to no contact with other people for most of one's life'", she added at Edna's perplexed look.  
"Um, I guess you're right", Edna agreed, speaking slowly. "But aren't you starting the next episode?"  
Tina answered by selecting the episode _Ménage à Troi_ and started it, once again saying "Engage!"  
After this particularly funny episode, both women retired back to their respective rooms. Edna sat on her bed, leaning against the pillow, with Harvey on her lap.  
"You wanted to tell me something", the blue lagomorph pointed out. "What was it?"  
"Well, I think I dreamed about something from my past but I don't know if this really happened...", Edna started, gazing out of the window to the night sky before her eyes found their way back to Harvey. "I was playing ball with Alfred and it rolled to the sidewalk. He went to retrieve it and was picked on by bullies... And then I joined in and defended Alfred..."  
"Edna, you really defended him when other kids picked on him", Harvey told her. "You didn't like it when somebody other than you teased him. I think it was an actual memory."  
"But if this was real, then why did I see two instances I couldn't possibly know of because I wasn't there?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, I saw the beginning of when those two boys started bullying Alfred and I saw him talking to Mattis after he sent me up to my room."  
"Hm... maybe this is the way your brain imagined how it happened? Or it really happened and some greater power enabled for you to see it?"  
Edna stared at Harvey:  
"Since when do you believe in a greater power?"  
Her lagomorph friend just shrugged:  
"Anything's possible."  
"Guess you're right, buddy..."

Edna spent the following days going to school, coming home and doing her homework, including her presentation on Goethe. Of course, she managed to use her free time for more enjoyable things, like enjoying the nice warm weather with Harvey or doing some creative things. One evening, she came home with a picture of the park; it showed trees, a flower bed and a pond but also a werewolf, a demon and a dragon. Also, she depicted night time in her picture, despite it being day time when she drew it. She had yet to color it but had not found the time to. Maybe on the weekend or the summer holidays, which were to start in a few weeks. Most of her tests and examination papers were already written, with just a handful remaining. She was glad it was almost over, no school stress and no Heike for six weeks.  
Friday came and admittedly, not much happened that day. One lesson was cancelled because the teacher had family matters to attend to and the others who taught the same subject were either sick, or had classes, or were on a class trip with another class. Edna was alone during the free period and looked over her notes; almost everyone else was gone, except Sebastian, who was playing games on his phone. He did not bother or distract her in any way and she was able to block out the sounds of his phone. One by one, her other classmates came back for the next lesson towards the end of the free period. The noise became too much for Edna to concentrate, so she put her notes away. She did not like the next lesson, which was Mathematics. Her teacher, Mister Drill, always spoke in a slow and monotone voice, it was hard to stay awake and pay attention. Mister Drill was a man in his fifties, tall, neither too fat nor too skinny with graying brown hair. His brown eyes were enlarged by his horn-rimmed glasses. But at least Mister Drill did not lock her in the closet when she disturbed the lesson, unlike Mister Hornbush. He was the reason why Edna added a barrier to her wardrobe to prevent it from closing properly. Still, she hated Mathematics and spent the majority of the lesson doodling.  
Mister Drill's lesson ended with no incidents, as did the following two. Then German class was about to start; Edna went over her notes one last time during break while consuming a sandwich and an apple. She was confident she prepared her presentation well but could not help but to feel nervous. Any minute now, the bell would ring and then it was just a matter of time until she had to hold her presentation. Anxiously, she waited for the lesson to start; she just wanted it behind her. It was agony to wait...  
The bell rang at last and their teacher, Missus Rosefield, arrived a minute later. Missus Rosefield was an elderly teacher, usually wearing a pink cardigan and a dress with a horrible flower pattern. Her gray hair was usually in a bun and she wore rectangular spectacles. She spent five minutes for attendance check before she called Edna to the front of her class. Edna took a deep breath to calm her nerves and went, with her notes in her hands, to the front of the class. She cleared her throat and spoke in a loud, clear voice:  
"Johann Wolfgang von Goethe."  
She paused for everyone to let it sink in. Most eyes were on her, even those who would never look at her twice, though she noticed Heike and her best friend, Gabrielle, were too busy with their phones to pay attention, although the latter glanced at her every so often. A few others were also not paying attention, but that was their own fault if they thought they did not need this.  
"Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born on August twenty-eighth, 1749 in Frankfurt am Main. His father was a jurist and he was the one who educated him for the most part. Goethe traveled to Leipzig in October 1765 to study Law. There he met and fell in love with Anna Katharina Schönkopf..."

* * *

Babbitt grumbled to himself as he walked through the asylum in search for a patient. It was lunch time and almost every patient was down in the cafeteria, except one. Professor Nock was missing, though Babbitt suspected at first he was in the television room to work on his dinosaur project – something about cloning dinosaurs by using their DNA. One time he thought he had a mosquito embedded in amber, which was found by René, but it had turned out to be a fly in ear wax. René ended up puking in the plant pot when he figured out what he was holding. Babbitt groaned and went through his black hair with his hand. Where could that nutty professor be? He was not in the television room, nor in any of the other rooms Babbitt checked. Bladder was no help at all, for he had to use the toilet once again. Honestly, that guy should stop drinking all the water. It usually ended with him going to the lavatory and once he sat on the toilet, he would not be coming out so soon. How big was his bladder capacity anyway?  
Babbitt was now back on the ground floor and wondered where to look next when he heard someone call:  
"Hey Babbitt!"  
It was Anes, a guy who had started working here two years ago. He had previously worked in an asylum but had to quit his job because his wife got a job as History and Physical Education teacher at the local school.  
"Lookin' for this guy?"  
He pulled Professor Nock from behind him, a firm grip in the loony's upper arm. Nock babbled something about looking for footprints of a Tyrannosaurus Rex but Babbitt paid him no mind.  
"Yes, I did, thanks. Where was he anyway?"  
"He was outside", Anes replied curtly, pushing Professor Nock toward Babbitt, knocking both on the floor, with the former lying on top of the mini golf player. By the time the two were back on their feet, Anes was gone. Babbitt huffed; that guy could be a little nicer to his colleagues.  
"Come on", he said to the professor, taking him by his upper arm. "Time for lunch and next time, don't wander off."

* * *

"Miss Hinterwaldt, Miss Wilcke, put your phones away and pay attention!"  
Heike and Gabrielle started at Missus Rosefield's admonition. Everybody else's eyes were on them; Edna looked displeased at the interruption caused by them. Grumbling, the two girls put their phones away and rested their heads on their arms, staring into Edna's direction with obvious boredom in Heike's case.  
"Sorry, please continue, Edna", Missus Rosefield instructed. Edna nodded, cleared her throat and continued:  
"In May 1775, Goethe started his first traveling to Switzerland, shortly after he got engaged to Anna Elisabeth Schönemann. However, he broke off the relationship when he returned in July of the same year. Two months later, Goethe was invited to come to Weimar by Carl August, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. After another two months, Goethe accepted the invitation and moved in a summerhouse on the Ilm, conveyed by the aforementioned Duke."  
Edna kept eye contact with her teacher and classmates, only looking down on her notes once or twice. She noticed Heike and Gabrielle at their cell phones out again, though she did not particularly care. It was their own fault if they did not learn anything and Edna felt some satisfaction to know these two would graduate with eventually worse grades than her... That was creepy. Since when did Edna care for her grades? Maybe Alfred had more influence on her than she thought. But then again, she had to get good grades for decent job. Perhaps this was the reason she behaved similar to Alfred when it was about schoolwork. Well, at least she was more laidback than he was.  
Edna continued with her presentation, talking abut how Goethe met and befriended Charlotte von Stein and that he discovered the Incisive bone. She mentioned how Goethe was ennobled by Kaiser Joseph II; she spoke about his travels to Italy where he learned to appreciate the architecture and art of the Classical Antiquity and Renaissance. She spoke about his friendship with Friedrich Schiller and his relationship with Christiane Vulpius, including that he still fell for other women, even after marrying her. And most importantly, she spoke a little about _Faust_.  
"Towards the end of his life, he did not write anymore but dictated his works. On March the twenty-second, 1832 Goethe died in Weimar at the age of eighty-two."  
She looked at her classmates and teacher, waiting for some kind of response, critique, questions, anything. Missus Rosefield wrote something down for what felt like years until she put her pen down and looked around the class:  
"Well? Any questions? Or critiques? Heike? Gabrielle?"  
Both started at their names being called and stared at their teacher with wide eyes. Apparently they thought they were caught playing with their phones again.  
"Uh, what?", Gabrielle asked stupidly.  
"Well, have you got anything to say about Edna's presentation?", Missus Rosefield barked impatiently.  
"Oh yes, I have some things to say", Heike said loftily, playing with her hair. Edna looked at her, expecting only negative things coming out of her mouth. Heike stopped playing with her hair, leaned back and started talking:  
"Edna didn't talk intelligible, it sounded like a babbling monkey. There were no useful information, just things nobody needs to know. She was talking about the wrong person. Her posture is just horrible and she kept looking at her notes. Not to mention her hair and clothes!"  
"I agree with Heike on everything", Gabrielle piped up, very briefly glancing at her friend in fear.  
"You two are only saying this because you don't like Edna", Sebastian stated. "You were too busy with your phones to pay attention; she did talk about the right person. She didn't keep looking at her notes and her information was useful and she spoke in a loud and clear voice. Also, what does her hair and clothes have to do with anything?"  
"Heike, Gabrielle, I want you two to stay back after class", Missus Rosefield told them. "Okay, anybody else? Ah yes, Bianca?"  
A pale girl with curly black hair and large brown eyes let her arm sink, cleared her throat and spoke rapidly:  
"I think Edna did a good job. It was easy to understand and follow and she included essential details, like Goethe's friendship to Schiller or his writing on _Faust_. But, um, did he really fall in love that often?"  
"Yes, he did", Edna confirmed. "He wasn't exactly the most faithful man."  
"Okay then, I got nothing more to add", Bianca stated. Once again, Missus Rosefield asked if anyone had anything more to add. There was only a collective murmur of almost everybody else agreeing with Bianca, except Heike and Gabrielle. Edna was, admittedly, surprised so many liked her presentation. She had expected those who were on Heike's side to belittle her. Then again, Heike did glare at them all, as if demanding they would all say something different.  
"Now then, Edna... you did a really good job. You obviously worked hard and did your research. Furthermore, you spoke loud and clear for everyone to hear and you knew what you were talking about. Therefore I will give you an A", Missus Rosefield summarized. Edna could not stop that big grin that started to form on her face. She had the urge to dance all night – she blamed Tina for this because she watched _My Fair Lady_ last night and now one of the songs from the movie was stuck in Edna's head. But she did not succumb to her urge, she just walked back to her seat and sat down. Missus Rosefield went to the front of the class and instructed them to open their _Faust_ books. Thus, they spent the rest of the lesson reading.

* * *

Ever since the Key Master found the cave that used to be a hideout for somebody, he had stayed there, only coming out at night. Usually he would go to town, hidden in shadows, and steal food and listen to the citizens in hopes of hearing something about Edna's whereabouts. So far, no luck. Sometimes, he wondered if she was even still alive and even went to the cemetery one time, only to find no grave bearing her name. He was aware that did not have to mean anything, so he basically knew as much as he did before. Anyway, he had decided to stay in the cave for a while and to think of another plan. It was not easy, though, for insects kept pestering him and of course the lack of hygiene he had to suffer. Over the years, he had secretly broken into homes and taken a shower, sometimes he even shaved, though he never left any traces, except for the occasional dead body. Then again, there was a reason he was known as 'Key Master' in the asylum. He was able to recognize any key by looking at it as well as to duplicate any key after seeing it at least once and he could pick any lock with no force. Technically, he could have escaped by himself but he had nothing on him that could have helped him. Edna had told him, she escaped with the help of a toenail, though she did not explicitly say how. The Key Master still had to admit, it was an impressive, if disgusting, feat. When he thought about this, the girl sure was unlike anyone else in the asylum, and not just her intelligence. Maybe he was too harsh on her in that church all those years ago? The years alone and in hiding did make him think about all this. Even the numbers of people he had murdered had decreased. The satisfaction he used to feel was all but gone; he found himself being reluctant to kill if his life was not at stake. It was strange and, try as he might, he could not come up with an explanation why he felt this way...  
The Key Master placed a hand on his grumbling stomach; he hated never having enough to eat. At times like these, he wished he would live a normal life with a job and a house of his own. But alas, it was not to be. He was known as a mad murderer and people like him were never given the chance to live a normal life. His only options were to be on a run for the rest of his life or be locked up again. Neither option was preferable, yet he was rather outside than locked in a padded cell.  
The Key Master spotted a house in town that seemed to be empty of any humans. He crept up to the house, careful not to be seen. The owner was either home after all or incredibly stupid, for he left a window open. Nobody would see the Key Master if he climbed into the house through the window since it was out of view of the street and the only neighboring house looked run-down and abandoned. It seemed to be safe to break into the house, so he climbed through the window, ending up in a small, stuffed room. There was a desk and a computer in one corner, all the other walls were full of overflowing file cabinets. Several files and folders were scattered over the floor. The Key Master listened for any kind of sound, in case the owner as actually a home but it was as silent as a grave. Concluding no one was at home, he carefully stepped over the files and folders to the door and left the room. The first thing the Key Master noticed upon leaving the room was a staircase leading up to the upper floors and the fact that at least one person living here was bound in a wheelchair, since the interior was disabled-adapted. He walked forward to the foyer, where he noticed three more doors. One of them had to be the door to the kitchen, therefore he picked the closest one to him.  
He knew at once this had to be a living room. The brown couch, the little cabinet and the television on it, various surfaces, which fragile figurines stood on, and the photo of a child in blue clothes told him what kind of room this was. He left the room and tried the next one. Luck was on his side this time, for he found the kitchen. He took some fruits and bottled water – there were so many, no one would notice one was missing. After packing them in a plastic bag, he left the kitchen and left the house the same way he came in. A folder or two were moved, though it was not by much and the Key Master doubted the owner of this house would notice in all this mess here.

* * *

School was over for the day and week and Edna had decided to start the weekend with a walk through the park, holding Harvey close to her. She had told him about her presentation, including Heike belittling her. Her blue, lagomorph friend had suggested to fill her pants with the Stinkydrink – while she was wearing them. Edna liked the idea but did not know how to make one and she was certainly not returning to the asylum just to ask the Barkeeper for one. It was not worth it and perhaps she would get a better idea to get back at Heike. Hopefully one that would not end with her death... Edna wanted no more blood on her hands...  
She stopped near the pond and sat on the grass with Harvey on her lap. Ducks were swimming, waddling and quacking, like they were holding conversations. Edna would really like to know what they were quacking about. I bet it would about something thrilling, like a way to waddle down doors and destroy locks with acid poop, Edna thought with a grin.  
"How about we build a stork trap?", Harvey suggested.  
"No, Harv. Storks are endangered", Edna declined.  
"Hey, I never said it's gonna be easy!"  
Edna good-naturedly shook her at head at the stuffed lagomorph. He always had the craziest ideas but he was always there for her, which was why she loved him. Without him, her memories would have never returned and she would have never escaped. Doctor Marcel had told her Harvey was the link to her past that night she found out what really happened when Alfred died. She shuddered when she what would have happened to her if she had allowed Doctor Marcel to change her personality. Nothing that defined her would be left, she would have lost her 'Ednaness'. While she regretted having to push a person down the stairs again, she also knew she had no other choice if she wanted to keep her personality.  
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?", asked an annoying voice Edna had hoped not to hear over the weekend. She turned around to greet the newcomers dryly:  
"Hello, Heike. Daniel. Gabrielle."  
"OH EM GEE!", Gabrielle screeched like a banshee upon seeing Harvey. "You were right, Heike! She does still play with a stuffed rabbit! No wonder she has no boyfriend!"  
"Did mommy buy you de wabbit?", jeered Heike condescendingly, snatching Harvey away. Edna sprang up and chased after Heike, who ran to the edge of the pond.  
"Oh, what are you gonna do? Call mommy? Or daddy?", Daniel mocked.  
"Careful if she calls her daddy!", Gabrielle shrieked. "He's a cold-blooded murderer!"  
Rage coursed through Edna's veins like hot lava. How did she dare to call her father a cold-blooded murderer? How could they dare to talk about her parents like this? How did Heike dare to take Harvey away from her? They had no right!  
"Edna! She's hurting me!"  
"I bet your mommy was a slut and your daddy was doing drugs!", Heike taunted. "This would be the onliest expl- exp- explana- reason you're so weird and why you're still single!"  
That did it! Not was she only hurting her friend, she was insulting her deceased parents! Edna was so mad at her right now! No one had the right to talk about her parents that way! Breathing heavily, she marched towards Heike. Her smirk faltered at Edna's glare. Edna took Harvey back with one hand, while she used the other to push her into the pond.  
"Heike!", Daniel yelled.  
"Heike!", Gabrielle shrieked, running to her friend. Edna, holding Harvey close, ran out of the park, towards the direction of her apartment until she suddenly stopped and mumbled to herself:  
"Did I... do the right thing?"

* * *

I named Anika after Tiana's voice actress from the movie _The Princess And The Frog_ and I gave Gabrielle the last name Wilcke after the German voice actress Alexandra Wilcke, who did the voice of adult Nala in _The Lion King_ and Pocahontas in the eponymous movie.


	4. Old Faces And An Unexpected Reunion

**Chapter Four**

 **Old Faces And** **An Unexpected Reunion**

Edna was still deep in thought about her actions earlier in the park. It reminded her too much of the circumstances surrounding Alfred's death. Only this time, she did this as an adult and was therefore of the age of criminal responsibility... unless she could not be held responsible because of insanity defense – that was, if Doctor Marcel had pronounced her insane. It was not a pretty thought but there was a possibility, seeing that she was kept in his mental institution for ten years. Gerret had told her about all this after her first encounter with Doctor Marcel following the incident where she pushed him down the stairs. But Edna could not remember everything he had told her...  
"Hurry up, Konrad! Don't sleep on the job!", a cook shouted.  
"Yes sir", she responded and took a dish and brought it to the respective guest. Then she went over to the next one.  
"Good evening and welcome to the Mare de Sol. What w- Mister Hornbush!?"  
Edna was astounded to see her old teacher again. He had not changed much since she was eight years old; he still had a portly belly and he still wore glasses. The only difference, and proof that so many years had passed, was that he had more wrinkles, making his resemblance to an alien from _Star Trek_ even more pronounced.  
"Edna? Edna Konrad?"  
Apparently, he was just as surprised as she was.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"I have a part-time job here", the still perplexed Edna explained.  
"Well, I hope you do a better job here than you did in my classes", Mister Hornbush said in his wheezy voice, raising the menu a little higher. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, then put the menu down and looked straight at her.  
"Of course, I am sure you're glad that Alfred's now gone. Now that he won't beat you in any test and tell on you anymore."  
Edna felt a pang in her chest. She could not speak or move; she was like a wax figure. She could just not believe he would accuse her of something like this. It was almost as bad as knowing she was Alfred's killer. She felt tears welling up in her eyes but fought them back. She was not going to cry; no, she was not going to cry. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she worded her answer:  
"No, I'm not. So, what will it be?"  
"I'll have a glass of beer and the beef steak with potatoes", Mister Hornbush replied. Edna made a note of it and told him his orders would be there shortly before walking away. After walking just a few steps, she stopped, turned around and spoke in a heavy voice:  
"Just so you know I miss him."  
Then she kept on walking.

The rest of her shift went on without any incidents, except when a colleague slipped on a spilled pool of gravy while carrying a large plate of spaghetti Bolognese. While he slid forward a few meters, the plate had flown up in the air and, miraculously, landed on his head, making the spaghetti look like a curly hairdo and the plate like a hat. A few guests had filmed the incidents on their phones and the video was probably on the Internet by now. It had distracted Edna from her thoughts, but now they were back again. It had been such a good day until she encountered Heike, Daniel and Gabrielle in the park...  
"Hey. Hey! Edna!"  
She blinked in surprised upon hearing her name being shouted:  
"Uh, what?", she asked stupidly, meeting Anika's concerned gaze.  
"Are you feeling alright? You've been so quiet...", her colleague inquired, frowning. But Edna just shook her head, assuring her she was fine.  
"Okay...", Anika replied slowly. "By the way, who was the older man I saw you talking with earlier? You know, the guy with the blue skin."  
"Oh, um, he... he used to be my teacher... years ago", Edna replied quietly. She heard Anika reply but Edna did not listen. She took her things and left, without bothering to change her clothes. Her mind was back at the moment when Heike, Daniel and Gabrielle bullied her in the park. Yes, she was furious at them for talking about her parents that way but the fact she pushed one of them because they had taken Harvey away... The memory shocked Edna more than the electroshock therapy. Still, how did Gabrielle know about Mattis being a murderer, albeit one who did not commit the crime? Gabrielle had been in an age when she would not regularly read the newspaper when it happened. Edna stopped walking and looked up to the sky wishing life would be easier...  
It was dark and quiet when Edna came back home. Tina's probably already asleep, she thought to herself as she took off her shoes. She walked into the living room and switched the light on, spotting a plate with lasagna on the table. Next to it was a note:

 _Hey, Edna  
I thought I leave you some of the lasagna I made in case you're hungry after your shift. Just heat it up in the microwave for two minutes.  
\- Tina_

A faint hint of a smile appeared on Edna's face. At least she had someone to look out for her. Suddenly feeling famished, she took the plate and walked to the kitchen, where she heated it up. She changed into her pajamas while waiting for it to be well done. Then she wolfed the lasagna down, leaving traces of her meal all over her face and pajama top. Edna simply placed the now empty plate in the kitchen sink. In the bathroom, she washed her face and brushed her teeth, then took off her top and threw it on the heap with the other dirty clothes. Back in her room, she chose a new top and put it on before falling on her bed.  
"Hey Edna, how was your day?", Harvey greeted her. The young woman turned her head to the side to look at him, quietly replying:  
"It was alright, I guess..."  
Then she turned her head back to the way it was before, looking up at the ceiling. It was like someone had pressed the mute button on a remote. Everything was awfully quiet; no one going out late at night, no cars driving past, no indecent sounds the neighbors downstairs sometimes made, no sound of a riot, nothing. The silence pressed on Edna's ears like the loneness she had felt in the asylum, the short minutes between losing her memories again and talking to Harvey. These moments were the loneliest and most confusing ones; she did not know who she was or where she was. She was alone in her padded cell with just a stuffed rabbit to keep her company. It was only when she spoke to the rabbit, she began to remember. This was the way it had gone on for years, a never-ending cycle...  
"I saw Mister Hornbush today", Edna added to her previous statement.  
"Really? He's still alive?"  
"Yes, hasn't changed much, just more wrinkles..."  
Edna rolled to her side, now looking directly at Harvey:  
"Let's go to sleep."  
"Oh please, tell me more about Mister Hornbush!", Harvey begged childishly.  
"Tomorrow", Edna simply stated, closing her eyes.  
She was four years old. Harvey, who she carried in her arms, seemed to be gigantic now. Looking around, she realized she was back in her childhood home, though it felt like she was the only one here.  
"Mommy?", she called in a tiny, fearful voice. No answer, just the creepily quiet house. "Mommy, where are you?"  
Still nothing. Everything in this house felt so big, like it belonged to a giant. Edna felt lonely. Where was her mother? She did not leave her, did she? A loud ringing disturbed the silence like a bell ringing in a library. Little Edna started, almost dropping Harvey. She looked around for the source of the noise, at last setting her eyes on a telephone. Someone had to answer it so she ran towards it. It felt like the phone was miles away for she did not seem to come any closer or very slowly, as if she was as slow as a snail. She feared the caller would hang up if she would not answer soon. Why was there nobody else to answer the telephone? At last, she reached the phone but there as yet another problem. The table, on which the phone was situated, was too tall for her, almost as tall as a tree. Edna removed one hand from Harvey and stretched it in an attempt to reach the device. No such luck. She stood on her tip-toes and tried it again, while the loud ringing pierced into her ears...

Edna woke up, dazed and disoriented. She used to have this dream several times in the asylum – the sight of phones always reminded her of it. But what she had failed to notice before was that it felt more like a memory. Was it because she dreamed the dream before or did this really happen? Last time a dream felt a memory, it turned out to be real. She could easily ask Harvey now but a part of her wanted to find it out by herself. Edna sat up, rubbing an eye. She felt something wet on her finger and realized she had been crying. Well, the dream was kind of sad in a way... A lonely little girl calling for her mother and receiving no answer, what was there not to be sad about? Edna had to think about her mother, whom she lost when she was little. She did not know how her mother died but every time she tried to remember the event, she could only hear her mother's blood-curdling scream. She shuddered when she heard the scream in her head again. It was painful for her to not remember anything. Sometimes, she wondered if she could not recall the circumstance of her mother's death because she was repressing the memory or if it was just Doctor Marcel's meddling. Whatever it was, she was sure of one thing, she missed both her mother and father.  
Edna sighed and got up, deciding to eat breakfast and to try to think of something different. Tina was already in the kitchen, pouring cereals in a bowl. She looked towards the doorway when she heard Edna approaching.  
"Morning", she greeted her. "Some cereals for you too?"  
Edna simply nodded in answer. Tina took a second bowl out of the cupboard and filled it with cereals and milk before adding the latter to her own. Then she took two spoons, giving Edna one spoon and bowl. Edna took these two items with a quiet word of thanks and walked to the living room, followed by her housemate. Tina turned on the television and zapped through the channels while they ate. However, there was nothing of interest, just old reruns of shows neither of them liked. After breakfast, Tina cleaned the bowls and spoons while Edna got dressed, then she took some art supplies and Harvey from her room. She put Harvey on the table, a bit away from her to prevent him getting covered in clay – even though she knew he would not mind it. But she did not want him to cover himself with all of it; otherwise she would not be able to make anything. She left the room to get a bowl of water and when she returned, she started crafting. Tina had given up on watching anything on television and had instead decided on watching a movie on Blu Ray – _Tangled_. The younger woman of the two only listened with one ear; she was more focused in forming a Leviathan with her clay. That, and she kept thinking about her encounters from the day before and her dream... However, when the villain song started, she looked at the television to watch the scene. From then on, she gazed at the movie every now and then. There was something about Rapunzel that reminded Edna of herself – they both spent a good chunk of their lives locked in a tower with little to no contact to other people. Rapunzel escaped from her tower with the help of a thief to see the floating lights. Edna escaped alone to be free, with only Harvey to help her remember and with the Key Master, who had a plan. Well, Aluman and Hoti and Moti helped too, but it was her who did most work. And Rapunzel had ludicrously long hair, which I do not have, Edna thought to herself absentmindedly while adding a few details to her Leviathan. However, she stopped working on her clay sculpture once Rapunzel was back in her tower and paid attention to the movie from then on. This was when Edna realized one big difference between her and the main character – Rapunzel had many friends, who would save her without hesitation, while she, Edna, had little to no friends and she had to ask for help. Now when she thought about this, what happened to Aluman, Hoti and Moti? Last time she saw Aluman, he was struck by lightning but was he still alive? Or was he dead?  
Her attention was back to the movie when the male lead climbed the tower using Rapunzel's hair for a rope. Edna made an uncomfortable face when the villain stabbed him and blamed Rapunzel. It this was not her fault, Edna thought... Just like how it was not my fault the Key Master killed the reverend. Why did it take for her so long to have this epiphany? For years, she had blamed herself for his murder, although she did not have to. Now she felt a little lighter, like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.  
Edna continued watching the movie, feeling a lump in her throat however. At the moment, she wished she was in Rapunzel's place, with both parents still alive and running to her to embrace her after having been separated for so long. But she knew it was not possible; her parents were dead and the sad thing was she did not even know how it happened. She would never see her parents again... Something wet fell on her hand. Edna looked down to see a tear, not having realized she had started crying. She wiped the tear on her hand and in her eyes away and dedicated herself to her sculpture once again. She did not want to think about her parents and feel the pain. Nothing could bring them back to her...

The movie had been over for a good hour by the time Edna finished forming her clay into a Leviathan. It just had to be heated up at a high temperature and then, after letting it cool down, color could be added. But first, Edna decided to take a break. She looked over to Tina to see what she was watching now; just some styling show. In a way, Edna was jealous of her. Tina led a life Edna wishes for herself; both parents alive, a sibling – a brother – school graduation, a real job... Things Edna wanted in her life too. Yes, she had a part-time job and yes, she was working on a graduation but she should have both feet on the ground at her current point of life. Maybe she would even be married and have a new family if her life had not turned for the worse...  
"Oh Harvey, if only life would be easier", she sighed, holding the rabbit close to her chest. However, it was not Harvey who answered:  
"What makes you say that?"  
It was Tina, who had shifted in her seat to look directly at Edna. Behind, the television set was muted as the commercial break was running. Edna hesitated, not really sure if she should tell her, but before she knew it, she told her about the incident with Heike, Daniel and Gabrielle in the park and her encounter with her old teacher. Tina listened attentively, never interrupting once. Her jaw dropped at the part where Edna pushed Heike in the pond and she had a horrified expression when she heard Mister Hornbush accused Edna of being glad Alfred was dead.  
"Hm...", Tina hummed after Edna finished talking. She stood up and walked around, biting her thumbnail in thought. Edna watched her walking back and forth as if she was following an exciting tennis match. Eventually, Tina stopped walking and turned around to look at the younger woman.  
"You know, maybe we should upload that picture of you in your bikini on the Internet. Maybe you'll get a boyfriend", she said with a grin. Edna knew she only said this to lighten the mood but she was not in the mood for a joke like that.  
"You don't get it, do you?", she retorted angrily leaving the living room with Harvey. First, she took her wallet from her room and then she put on a pair of boots before leaving the apartment. She knew Tina meant it well but there were times when she could do with these little jokes and when she could not.  
Edna walked along the streets, not really paying attention to the people and cars, just enough to not get run over. She did not know what to do... in fact, she did not want even be among people. She just wanted to be alone, with only Harvey by her side. Her eyes fell on the train station just across the streets. She knew where she had to go...

The old village had not changed much over the years. Everything was just the way Edna remembered it when left her home to live a new life. And yet, there was something different about this place. A subtle change not noticeable unless one looked close enough. Or did the village not change at all, but she did? Edna took a deep breath as she walked towards the village. In the distance, like an ever present ominous landmark, towered the very place she lost a good chunk of her life in. There was no way she was going to go back there on her own free will. They would have to drug her, knock her out and tie up to bring her back to the asylum. And even then she would put up a fight. Across the mental institution was the convent school, where Edna hid at for a while. Even in the distance, she could see it was abandoned. Edna smiled fondly as she thought about her only friend from the convent, Lilli – a shy and quiet girl and a great friend. More often than not, she wondered how her friend was doing for she had not seen her in a long time... Maybe she should go see Gerret and ask him. He might know something.  
With this in mind, Edna leisurely strolled along the streets of her old hometown in the lazy afternoon sun. No one paid her any attention, which had taken her aback. She would have expected some kind of reaction from the citizens, like a scream or something. But no, nothing it all. It made her unsure whether she should be relieved or suspicious about this... Well, maybe she should be glad people were ignoring her. That way, no one could alert Doctor Marcel of her presence here before she remembered he was probably still in jail. Perhaps she could take the time to visit her parents' graves. She knew where her father was located, having found it by chance during her breakout; however, she was unaware of the location of her mother's grave. All she knew was that her parents were not buried next to each other. It broke her heart to know this; it felt like they were not even in death together.  
Edna had just walked past the police station when she heard a familiar, scratchy voice call her name:  
"Edna? Is that you?"  
It was Gerret, a police officer who had helped Edna and Lilli a great deal a few years ago. He had not changed since she had last seen him; he was still as ashen-faced as he was back then. Edna wondered if he actually ever saw the sun. Gerret just leaned against the exterior wall of the police station, looking at her with big surprised eyes. He held a lot cigarette between his index and middle finger.  
"What are you doing here?", he questioned, taking a drag.  
"I... I just thought I could visit my old hometown", Edna replied, now wondering if this was such a good idea after all.  
"Okay, but be careful. Doctor Marcel's minions could be anywhere", the police officer warned her. Edna snorted:  
"Why should I be worried about them? Doctor Marcel's behind bars."  
"Not anymore", Gerret confessed. "His son has bailed him out ages ago."  
"W-what? How... how can that be?", Edna stammered. She felt like her brain stopped working.  
"Yeah! How can that be!?", Harvey was just as dumbfounded as she was.  
"Alfred's dead!", Edna almost shouted, like she was trying to convince not just Gerret, but also herself of this fact. The police officer just took another drag before calmly replying:  
"Alfred wasn't Doctor Marcel's only child."  
"What!? He had another child!? Who would be crazy enough to have more than one child with that guy!? Even one is too much!", Harvey exclaimed.  
"I didn't know Alfred had a brother... Why had he never said anything?", Edna wondered, having to stomach this new piece of information. "What's his name? What does he look like?"  
"I don't know; it wasn't me who let his father out. It was the other officer – you know, the one who did the tutorial in _Harvey's New Eyes_ ", Gerret replied.  
"Oh man, that guy was no fun with his 'always be careful' attitude", the blue, stuffed lagomorph scoffed.  
"Oh yes, I remember that guy", Edna said, nodding. "But has he at least mentioned something about Alfred's brother?"  
"Actually he has", the police officer confirmed, putting out his cigarette. "He told me he's hiding his face under a paper bag and that he seems to have a bad eye sight. Apparently, he kept running against the door to the police station until somebody opened it."  
"Wait a minute... he let a guy, whose face he can't even see, bail out Doctor Marcel!?", Edna asked incredulously.  
"Yes... we should have known better after he let out Edmund The Slasher after he told him he was sorry", Gerret sighed. "I remember my old man telling me how hard it was to catch Edmund."  
"Edmund... The Slasher?"  
Edna tilted her head. She could swear she had heard the name once before, a long time ago. If only she could remember...  
"He was a mass murderer who stroke terror into people's hearts in this village, mercilessly killing innocent people. My father was on the team that caught him at last – I was just a teenager back then. But they made the mistake to have Tutorial Guy guard him and, well, I already told you what he did."  
"Did the police ever catch Edmund?"  
"Yes, about half a year after he was let out. He's now in a high security prison", Gerret took out a pack of chewing gums, chucking one in his mouth before offering Edna one. She accepted one with a thanks. "How have you been doing?"  
She decided not to tell him about the troubles plaguing her.  
"Pretty good actually. How about you?"  
"I've been doing well myself, too. I hope you and Tina get along."  
"Sure we do and she's a great help with my English homework or when I study for a test", Edna told him with a grin. "Say, do you know how Lilli has been doing?"  
"Last I heard she was adopted. But that's all I know."  
"Wow, that's great! I'm glad she has a family now", Edna grinned from ear to ear. She had always felt sorry for Lilli for not having a family anymore. She knew how it felt and hearing the news her friend had new parents was the best she heard in a while. Speaking of parents... "Gerret, can you do me a favor?"  
"Sure, what do you need?"  
"I want to visit my parents' graves; do you think you could buy two flower bouquets for me?"  
"No problem. Besides, the only local flower store is owned by the girlfriend of one of Doctor Marcel's minions. If she would see you, she would surely tell her boyfriend."  
Edna was now glad she had asked him to buy the flowers for her. Since she knew Doctor Marcel was not behind bars, she rather wanted to be on the safe side. Gerret ran to the flower store and came back a few minutes later, holding two bouquets of various flowers Edna did not know the names of.  
"Thank you", she said, taking the flowers and paying him back with her own money. "Well, I better be off. See you."  
"See you."

Edna kept herself hidden, now knowing the risk of getting back to the asylum was higher. Now she was really glad no one paid attention to her, otherwise she might be in trouble. Of course, she could just take the train and go back home but she could just not bring herself to do this. Her desire to see the grave of her father and her mother was just too great. It was like she was made of iron and a giant magnet in the cemetery was pulling her towards this place. It would be the first time in years she would see her father's grave and the very first time in her life she would see her mother's. This time, she would pay them her proper respect and dedicate precious minutes to them. That was what they deserved at least...  
Edna arrived at the cemetery, her eyes spotting the church at once. She shuddered as she remembered that fateful night when she found out that the Key Master was really a murderer. In turn, she had killed him, which was something she felt bad about but it was either this or be killed for she was sure he would have done so sooner or later. But now that she thought about this, she wondered if he was buried here too. If he was, was he buried under his birth name, which, as Edna just realized, she did not know of? But even if she did know all this, what would she do? Would she pay him her respects? Well, it was the least she could do...  
"Harvey... do you think the Key Master is buried around here somewhere?"  
"I don't know. And I don't think we could find his grave. I doubt he was born with the name 'Key Master'. Unless his mother was the worst name-giver in history."  
"But... what if there was an indication that this is his grave?"  
"Well... we could look."  
"Yes, but only after we visited my parents."  
Edna remembered where she had found Mattis's grave, so it did not take long for her to find it again. Unlike the other graves around this one, it was covered in moss and in need of a good cleaning. There were no flowers or memorabilia of the deceased's on Mattis's grave; it was just a sad, lonely tombstone with a dead person buried underground. A forlorn-faced Edna kneeled in front of the tomb and cleaned some of the moss away, just enough to reveal the inscription:

 _Last resting place of Mattis Konrad  
31st January, 1957 – 20th April, 1999_

That was all there was. No words of sentimental value, not even the words 'beloved husband and father'. Just his name and dates of birth and death. Edna laid one flower bouquet on the grave and then traced the words on the tombstone with her index finger.  
"Hey Dad", she quietly greeted him. "How is it wherever you are right now? I hope it's a beautiful place. I'm... I'm sorry you died because of me... because I killed Alfred... I never wanted any of this to happen... You should be alive and well, living a peaceful life in our home with a secure job. I... I really miss you... I wish you were somehow here again... with me..."  
Edna sniffed. Tears ran freely down her face, like a never-ending cascade. She had cried before when she learned her father was really dead, but she had never shed so many tears. Was it that she only just now realized she would never see him again? That she would never wreck havoc again just for him to be exasperated with her? That she would never have those father daughter bonding times which had not realized before she actually valued? She did not know; she only knew her heart was aching. She wanted to scream, to let the world know of her pain. But she was unable to, her voice was too weak. So, she just kept crying.  
Edna sniffed one more time, wiping away her tears. She had somewhat calmed down, though she was still aching inside. Slowly, she stood up and, with a quiet good bye, went to look for her mother's grave.  
She did not know where her mother was buried or what her name was. All she could do was to keep her eyes open for another tombstone with the last name 'Konrad' and a date of death that was at a time she was little. Edna did not know how long she was at her father's grave but it was long enough for the sun to start setting. The church and the tombstones were casting long shadows in the red and golden light. Mosquitoes and dragonflies buzzed around; Edna swatted them away when they got too close. Her eyes were fixated on each tomb she passed, reading each inscription, until she found one she was hoping to find:

 _Last resting place of Vivian Konrad  
4th December, 1960 – 30th June, 1995_

 _Beloved Wife And Mother_

Edna was certain this had to be her mother. The name was right as were the dates and besides, she had not found another Konrad, safe for Mattis. Vivian's grave was on the other side of cemetery, as far away from her husband as she could possibly get. Edna thought this was unfair; even though everyone thought her father was a murderer upon his death, they could have at least buried him next to his wife. Still, seeing her mother's grave caused a return of Edna's tears, to the point she was even surprised she had some left. Tenderly, she laid the second flower bouquet on the grave. She said no words, for there she could not think of what to say. There was so much she wanted to say but could not find a beginning. So, she just spent endless minutes in silence with her mother...

* * *

Night had fallen. People had retreated into their homes or into the bar, leaving the streets deserted. Well, for the most part, since there was occasionally a person or two walking through the streets at night. Nevertheless, it was the safest time for the Key Master to be out and about. He kept himself just out of the range of the streetlight so that one would only see a shadowy figure walking around if they happened to look out of their windows. The Key Master did not know why he kept coming to the village if he knew he would not find anything. Perhaps he simply did not know what to do; he even started to doubt he would ever find Edna. The Key Master leaned against the exterior wall of the church, staring to his feet and asking himself: But why do I even want to find her?  
If he had asked himself the question years ago, he would have immediately said to kill her for almost killing him. But now, in present time, he would hesitate. Maybe he just wanted to make sure she was alright, wanted to watch over her. He knew she was competent but he also knew she could get easily distracted by even the littlest thing. One time, for example, she randomly asked him to write something in her friendship book and once, she pretended to wed a pair of potholders with an old paint pot. Not to mention, she certainly had spent a good amount of time ruining anything in the asylum she could. There had to be a reason why he saw stains of ketchup and mustard as well as the sentence "Edna was here" or "Edna rules" and Doctor Marcel's and the Barkeeper's signature about everywhere when he went down to the garage where the getaway vehicle Edna had found was.  
The Key Master looked ahead of him, seeing a lone figure kneeling in front of a grave. They seemed to be holding something but what, he could not tell. It did not seem to be small or heavy, a stuffed animal perhaps. Whoever this person was, he or she was leaving. The Key Master watched the retreating shadowy figure before walking to the grave the person was at. It was too dark to read the inscription, though he was able to make out a flower bouquet. Thus had to be the resting place of a special person for him or her, he figured. Normally, he did not care if he saw someone after sundown, unless he overheard the person saying something useful. This time, however, he felt some curiosity. Therefore he followed the lone person, keeping himself a good distance behind them. He could not explain it, but he had a feeling he knew this person, though he could not tell for sure due the lack of light. Still, he could make out something about this person or rather, what they were holding. It seemed to have long appendages on the top, for they were holding it from there, letting it dangle while they walked. The person trotted below a streetlamp, finally exposing more of their appearance, albeit only the back. Still, the Key Master could recognize the long dark purple hair and the blue stuffed rabbit anywhere. It was Edna, holding her Harvey.

* * *

With a heavy heart, Edna had left the cemetery. She had stayed there until the world around her was engulfed in darkness, with only the moon as the single source of light, the streetlights being the only exception. A few stars were out, twinkling like diamonds. Edna had no plans where to go to, she just let her feet lead her the way. In her mind, she was still with her parents, back to happier times when she was only scared of monsters hiding under her bed or in her closet.  
"Harvey? Do you think you could tempomorph me back to a time when both my parents were alive?", she asked her blue companion in a forlorn voice.  
"Only if you found something that reminded you of the time", Harvey told her. It was like her feet had listened and they knew where to go. She paid little to no attention to where she was going; she trusted her feet to lead her safely to the place she had to go.  
Soon, Edna arrived at her destination. She was certain there had to be something that would remind her of happier times, unless it had been cleared out since the last time she was there. For some unexplained reason, she seriously doubted it. There was no point and if it had not been cleared out for over a decade, then why would somebody do it now? Edna entered her childhood home, finding it the way it was a few years ago. Well, maybe with more mold and decay. But everything else was the same; no one had bothered to enter this house for so long. In a trance-like state, she walked up the stairs to an upper floor and took a turn left. The door led her to her father's study, which also functioned as his bedroom. She walked over to his bed, where a picture of her younger self hung on the wall.  
"Hey, little Edna", the young adult greeted the picture, only to hear a quiet voice in her head:  
"Your fault. Your fault. Your fault."  
She grabbed her head, letting Harvey fall, and screamed for the voice to stop. She was aching all over her body, barely able to move a muscle. Her knees gave in, the voice in her head and the pain all over her body was too much for her. Never had she imagined she would feel like this if she were to return here. Would she always hear this voice inside her head, every time she was in her father's house? Well, if this was the case, she had to be strong. She wanted to find something that reminded her of the time both her parents were alive. So, gathering her strength, she managed to stand up on wobbly knees. Taking deep breaths, she went through the drawer of her father's desk, where she found nothing, and his closet in search of something. What she was looking for, she could not tell. She would know if she found it.  
She found a box which was filled with documents and files of something Mattis had worked on around the time of Alfred's death. He was never able to finish his work and Edna doubted she could finish it for him since she had no idea what it was about. Besides, whoever charged him with it surely did not wait over a decade for someone to come and finish it. But Edna clearly remembered how hard Mattis had worked on it. Often, when she would sneak downstairs, she would see the light of his candle still burning. He would have worked on whatever it was until the early morning hours; the only times he would have stopped working was when Edna was scared and came to him for comfort, though this had decreased over times. She did this almost every night following her mother's death but she pretty much stopped when she was seven or eight years old. In fact, when she was that age, she would have come to his room just to tell him to get a good night's rest.  
"Huh? What's that?", Edna mumbled after finding another box she had not noticed when she had gone back to get some clothes. She took the object in question out. On top of it was a flashlight. She took the rather heavy cardboard box and stood up, heading towards the bed. Her mind filled with questions of what could be in there; she sat on the bed and removed the lid.  
"Hey, haven't you forgotten someone?", she heard a voice call her. Edna sprang up, as if stung by an adder, and picked up her blue rabbit.  
"Sorry, Harvey", she apologized and sat back on the bed again. She laid Harvey down and took the first object out of the box. It was an old photo album...

* * *

He saw her entering a run-down house. He recognized it from a few days ago when he broke into the neighboring house, though he could not explain why she would go inside such a house. The exterior was decayed and as he walked around the property, he saw several garden gnomes, each one broken down into pieces, and the front door barely hanging from the hinges, as if someone broke it down. Walking around the house, he came across the porch, with a garden table and chair and a parasol, each object looking like it was in desperate need of repair. As he looked away from the house, he spotted the tool shed, which did not look much better than the house. He saw no point in checking out the tool shed, so he continued walking around the house, finding the backdoor and the open basement window. What kind of house was this? Was this Edna's house, the place she wanted to go back to when she broke out with him, Hoti, Moti and Aluman all those years ago? If so, why would she want to go back there now? And, now the Key Master could not help but wonder, what did she find out there? Only one way to find out, he had to follow her inside the house. Before he could, he heard a scream from somewhere inside:  
"AAAAHHH! NO! STOP THAT!"  
For the first time feeling something he had not felt for years and thinking she was being attacked, he ran inside, momentarily distracted at the size of the interior. It looked much bigger on the inside than on the outside but the passing of time was even more prominent. He supposed it was once a beautiful place to live in but no time for imagining how it must have looked like in the past. He had to know why Edna screamed... and where she was. All he knew was her scream came from the upper floor but not from which room. The best he could do was to run up the stairs and check each room. He came across a door the moment he arrived on the second floor landing, so he opened it to find what looked like an old classroom. Edna and someone else probably had private lessons, the Key Master figured. But seeing no one was there, he left the room and tried one of the doors on his right hand side; the one that only consisted of a frame. This led him to the bathroom, which was devoid of any human too. Only one door left... he opened it quietly and, after looking around, found her at last. She sat on the bed, obviously not bothered by all the mold and cobwebs, with knees pulled up to her chest and holding a book in one hand, a flashlight in the other. So, she was not being attacked after all. The Key Master wanted to be mad at her for making him think that but he could not. He could see tears were streaming down her face as her eyes moved back and forth. It was a miracle she could still read this with all those tears in her eyes. At her feet was the blue stuffed rabbit she always spoke with as well as an opened cardboard box. Edna did not seem to have noticed the Key Master, too absorbed with the book she was reading. It would be easy to take revenge on her for almost killing him but something stopped him and it was not just the doubt he had been feeling for some time. For the second time tonight, he felt something he had not felt in years as he gazed upon the crying girl. He could not bring himself to kill her and it frustrated him. He was a mad killer, which was why he was in the asylum in the first place; the reason why he was in a solitary cell. So, why should the sight of a crying girl prevent him from killing her? There was nothing special about her; they had nothing in common, except having been stuck in the mental institution. The Key Master was so deep in thought, too busy to convince himself of these thoughts he almost missed a quiet sob coming from Edna:  
"Mom... Dad... I wish you were still alive. I need you..."  
Now the Key Master realized something; he was aware that Edna was still a child when she was brought into the asylum and he knew that Doctor Marcel kept trying to erase her memories. So, for her, it was like she went to sleep as a child and suddenly woke up as an adult. Maybe this was why he could not bring himself to kill her... If this were the case, then why did he have the feeling there was more to this? Not able to stop himself, he walked over, sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. During all this, his mind screamed to stop and leave her be but his limbs did not obey. For the first time since he arrived in this room, she showed a reaction other than sadness; she tensed up and breathed shallowly. Her eyes were as big as saucer plates, if he would not know it better, he would say she was a wax figure. Then, after what seemed like ages, she slowly turned her head to see him from face to face.  
"Key Master!?", she gasped.  
"Hello, Princess", he smirked. His voice was hoarse from lack of usage over the last few years. He chanced a quick glance at the book Edna was reading. He realized she had not been reading at all but had been looking at old photos. The Key Master's brain barely had time to register a single picture. It was of a young bespectacled man and a young woman who looked a lot like Edna, holding a little bundle of joy.

* * *

Edna stared at the man in astonishment. For years, she had thought he was dead, but there he was, sitting next to her with an arm around her shoulders. She could not move; fear had paralyzed her body. What was he going to do to her? They had not exactly parted on good terms. Would he do the same to her as he did to the reverend? If he were, then why was he just sitting there? Why had he not done anything yet?  
"I... I thought you were d-dead", she stated stupidly. The Key Master looked down his body briefly before looking back at her:  
"Funny, I don't feel dead."  
Edna was not sure if she should laugh or be worried. Even if she had thought he was still alive, she certainly would not have imagined their reunion to be like this. His just joking around made her feel uneasy.  
"What's the matter, Princess? You look like you've seen a ghost", the Key Master remarked.  
"Why are you behaving like this?", Edna asked, sounding braver than she felt. "Last time I saw you, you revealed your true face. You're a murderer. So, why are you acting like everything's peachy?"  
An emotion briefly flashed across the Key Master's face. She saw just barely, almost missed it in fact; therefore she could not identify it. However, he soon showed anger on his face, making her cower.  
"Do you want me to be a ruthless killer?", he asked venomously.  
"N-no!", Edna quickly squeaked. Calm down, she told herself and then spoke in a clear voice: "I just don't know what to make of you."  
"Well, you haven't seen me for years. Who says I haven't changed?"  
"Who says you have?", Edna countered, closing the photo album. She put it back in the cardboard box and clamped it under her arm. She took Harvey with her free hand and stood up with the words:  
"I should better get home..."  
She ran towards the door, but was followed by the Key Master. She glanced briefly at him, not sure what to make of it. Was he following her because he wanted to kill her after all? All the same, he had never said he would not do this. Edna decided to be as careful as possible. Perhaps she was lucky and he would stop following her, though she had her doubts. Of course, she could demand he should leave her alone, if she were not so afraid. For a tiny little moment, she thought of screaming, but quickly ruled out the possibility. It might get him to stop following her, but it would attract attention to both him and her and that in turn would mean back to the asylum for them, which was something she certainly did not want for either of them.  
"Hey Princess?", the Key Master spoke up; though Edna made no indication that she heard him. "Whose grave was that I saw you at?"  
Edna stopped dead in her tracks, almost letting Harvey and the box fall. The Key Master had been following her since she was at the graveyard? How long had he been following her before revealing himself? Ever since she arrived in this town earlier that day?  
"Have you been stalking me all day long?", Edna asked indignantly. She whirled around so fast she was just a purple blur, only to be momentarily surprised when she saw how close the Key Master was. However, she quickly replaced her big eyes and open mouth with a fierce look. Daggers might as well come out of her eyes.  
"No, I have not", the green-skinned man replied, raising his hands to shoulder height. "It was just a coincidence I saw you at the cemetery."  
Edna continued staring at him with narrowed eyes for at least another minute before deciding to believe him in this case.  
"Okay... but why are you following me now?"  
"Oh, I just thought we could catch up on old times, Princess", the Key Master replied, showing no signs of emotions.  
"Like the time you killed an innocent reverend and blamed his death on me?", Edna retorted affronted. "Tell me, how many people have you killed and blamed their passing on me since that night?"  
She did not know where she took her courage from. She just knew she was furious at the Key Master for talking to her like a normal person. Back when she first met him, he also spoke like this, which had convinced her to free him. And now, seeing him acting just like this reminded her of the ruse, of his revelation of being a madman. It made her blood boil.  
"Not many, like the owner of the clothes I'm wearing, and I didn't blame you for his death or any other", the Key Master replied curtly. "And for the record, I wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't unexpectedly appeared."  
"I don't know if that makes me feel better", Edna remarked sarcastically. "And honestly? Not many? I would have thought the path you've been walking is littered with corpses."  
This time, she seemed to have stroke a chord. He suddenly grabbed her wrist, causing her to let the items she had been carrying to fall. He held her wrist so tight it was hurting her. She cowered in fear at the furious and mad glint in his eyes.  
"You can be the next corpse on my list if you want to", he grunted dangerously.  
"N-no, thank you", Edna stammered, trying to break free from his grip. He let her go and she almost toppled down but managed to keep her balance. She inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm her nerves before bending down to pick up her dropped items.  
"Why are you so interested in catching up on old times?", she asked in a quivering voice.  
"I don't know", the Key Master replied, looking straight into Edna's eyes. The furious and mad glint was gone. "I guess I'm just curious to see how you've been doing."  
Edna sighed, aware she was not going to get rid of him so easily. What was she supposed to do? Invite him to her apartment and introduce him to Tina? No chance! There was no way she would endanger her friend's life. Also, what was she supposed to say? "Hello Tina, meet the Key Master, a mad killer I know from the asylum. He's here to reminisce about old times"? Even in her head, it sounded ludicrous.  
"Well, how do you imagine we catch up? I have to get home and I can't come here every day. I have no time and I don't want to risk going back to the asylum."  
"You could invite me to your home. Unless you know of another place I could hide out."  
"What!? No way you're goi-", Edna paused, realization dawning on her face. "Wait a minute, I do know of a place you could use as a hideout. It's on the outskirts of the town I live in now, but it's closer and easier than coming here every day."  
"Then how about a compromise? I spend the night at your place and tomorrow, you're going to show me the hiding place. Deal?"  
"Um...", Edna hesitated. Should she really agree on this? Where should he sleep? He could possibly not sleep in the living room; she did not want Tina to see him. She could offer to lead him to the hideout right away but it was dark and she was not likely to find it so quick. "Alright...", she eventually relented. "But before you enter my apartment, I want to make sure my housemate's already asleep."  
Edna did not know why she agreed to let him come with her. Perhaps it was the relief to know he was not dead after all. She knew it sounded weird, even in her head, but that was the way she was feeling. True, she was wary of him and a little scared but death was not something she would wish for him.  
"Agreed, but what do you intent to do if your housemate's not sleeping yet?", the Key Master wondered aloud, looking expectantly at her.  
"I will think of something", Edna shrugged. Then she went on to the train station, indicating for him to follow her.  
"Edna, why are you letting him go with us?", Harvey asked fearfully.  
"Harv, he would have followed us even if I said no. It's easier this way", she explained in a whisper. "Besides, he made an indication that he had changed, earlier in Mattis's study. Though I doubt it, I'm willing to give him a chance."  
"I hope you won't regret it...", the blue rabbit quietly stated.

* * *

Edna and the Key Master barely managed to catch the train. Otherwise, they would have needed to wait for three hours for the next one, as there were not so many driving. Little towns were not exactly known for having a public transportation system that would give one a ride every twenty minutes – only big cities did this. It was a quiet ride; barely anyone was using the train at this hour. Actually, the only people in here were Edna, Harvey and the Key Master. Edna viewed out to the passing landscapes, or rather tried to, for she could barely see anything. Still, she preferred this over glancing the other way. She did not want to look at the Key Master any more than she had to.  
"Hey, Princess?", he attempted to start a conversation. "How have you been doing since your failed attempt to kill me?"  
There was a weird mix of amusement and accusation in his voice. Edna was not sure what to make of it.  
"Not bad, I'm currently attending school. You know, for a proper graduation", she replied, still looking out of the windows.  
"That's very wise of you. So tell me, how are you doing in school?"  
"Quite good, actually. The other day, I held a presentation about Goethe – got an A. I'm not so good with Mathematics, though."  
"I hated Math when I was in school", the Key Master told her. Edna turned to look at him, seeing him smirk. She could not help but give him the same expression.  
"I prefer German and English", Edna told him. "My housemate's a great help with English. Music and Art aren't bad either, but there are too many restrictions – I rather do arts in my free time."  
"Do you get along with your housemate?", the Key Master asked curiously. The girl nodded in confirmation:  
"Yes, she's a great friend, though she would force me to watch movies in English. Then again, this actually improved my English skills."  
"Well, it is important to be able to speak English nowadays, so you can consider yourself lucky you don't have a housemate who thinks you only need to speak German."  
"True", Edna nodded, gazing back out of the window. They were quiet for the rest of the ride, with the exception of one instance when Edna told the Key Master when they had to get out.  
It was not long until they arrived in the town Edna now called her home. The train station was devoid of any human life, except for a single ticket vendor, though he seemed to be sleeping on the job. She and her companion left the station and went out to the almost empty streets of the medium-sized town. Occasionally, they would come across some people on a nightly stroll, most of them obviously drunk.  
"Hey, sweet – hic – heart. Why don't y – hic – you leave that guy and get on with a... a real man?", one passing man slurred. It was a miracle he could still stand and walk, the way he was swaying. Edna rolled her eyes, placing her forehead on the palm of her free hand, and shook her head.  
"Leave her alone", the Key Master snapped at the drunken man. He placed his hand on Edna's shoulder and gently led her away from him and his friends. A part of him just wanted to kill the man, but he held back. He knew Edna would be appalled and his chance of proving he had changed would be ruined. Yes, he did not care about this when he murdered the reverend but years on the run could change a person. He just wanted to live a normal life, without the need of hiding. Why he chose Edna to help him, he did not know, though he reckoned it was because she was the only person intelligent and brave enough to aid him. At least of the relatively few people he knew of. Also, he knew she was determined, so if he could convince her to help him, he knew he could count on her.  
"He didn't bother you that much, did he?", the Key Master asked her once they were far away from the drunken man and his friends.  
"No, he was just annoying", Edna replied. "But thank you for defending me. I'm not used to being hit on like this. Usually, I don't meet many people on my way home from work. I have a part-time job as a waitress", she added at his quizzical look. He nodded in understanding. However, hearing she was not used to being hit on that way, he wondered how much experience she had with romantic relationships – if she had any at all. Still, he was not going to ask her immediately; he would wait a while since he doubted she would be willing to tell him at this point.  
Edna and the Key Master kept on walking until they stopped at an apartment complex. The girl took out her keys and unlocked the door, holding it open for her companion to enter. Then they took the elevator to one of the upper floor, where Edna unlocked the fourth door in the hallway. She closed the door after the Key Master entered and, after indicating to wait here for her, went into the living room. There, she was met by the sight of the television displaying the main menu of a _Star Trek Voyager_ DVD and Tina, who sat on the couch with the remote directed to the player, looking right at her.  
"Edna!", Tina exclaimed, putting the remote down and walking towards her. "I was so worried about you. Where were you?"  
"I was visiting my parents' graves... and then, I was at my old home", Edna replied, nodding towards the box she was holding.  
"I see", Tina nodded, looking at the box before looking back at her friend. "Listen, about earlier, my joke with the photo of you in a bikini – I'm sorry, it was inconsiderate of me."  
"It's alright, everyone does or says stupid things", the dark haired girl smiled. Tina smiled back.  
"By the way, I took the liberty of heating the clay sculpture you were working on. I hope I did a right thing..."  
"Don't worry; I was almost finished with it anyway. You were doing me a favor with it."  
"Oh, good to know. By the way, I'm gonna watch a _Star Trek_ episode before I hit the hay. Would you like to watch too... after I made a sandwich?", Tina added after her stomach grumbled. "Do you want one too?"  
"Sure, for both", Edna nodded. Tina disappeared into the kitchen and, the moment she was gone, Edna put the cardboard box and Harvey down. With her free hands, she grabbed the Key Master, who was still outside, by his hands, and dragged him into her room.  
"Wait here", she told him and quickly took the box from the living room and placed it on her bed. "And don't touch anything."  
Then she was back in the living room, sitting on the couch with Harvey on her lap. Her eyes were directed towards the coffee table but not really seeing it. She was lost in her thoughts. Should she really give the Key Master a chance? Did she make a mistake by doing so? But it was too late now – she could not back out. All she could do is to hope she would not regret it.

* * *

Tina came back with a big plate full of sandwiches, which she out on the coffee table. As soon as her hands were free, she took the remote, sat down and selected the episode _Somebody To Watch Over Me_ , saying, as always, "Engage."  
The episode was about the Doctor teaching Seven of Nine about romantic relationships, only to fall for her. Meanwhile, the crew of the Voyager had a guest on board from a species that ate their meals with no seasons – he ended up trying some foreign food and got drunk on something on would normally not get drunk on. Edna giggled at the antics of the drunken man; he was funnier than the guy who hit on her earlier. That, and it was not her he was hitting on.  
Tina went to bed once the episode was over. Edna waited for a while until she was sure she would not come out again and took Harvey and the leftover sandwiches, as well as apple juice and a glass from the kitchen, and went to her room.  
"I got you something to eat and drink", she announced to the Key Master, who was looking at the clay figures she had made. He glanced at her as she placed the items on her desk.  
"Thanks", he said, sitting down and grabbing a sandwich. "Say, what photo was your housemate talking about earlier? And that joke regarding it?"  
Edna, who was about to take her pajamas, paused and made an awkward face. She had completely forgotten he would have heard Tina talking about it. Of course he would want to know what this was about, would want to understand it... Slowly, Edna turned around and looked straight into his eyes:  
"If you don't mind, I would rather not talk about it."  
The Key Master shrugged, "Alright", and went back to eating. For the first time since she saw him again in her old house, Edna had a proper look of the Key Master – not counting the time on the train as she did not really pay attention to his appearance – and could see how he had changed over the years. His once green skin was now a healthier color, though there was still a tint of green; his eyes were not as large and bulgy anymore and he had traded his nightgown with a V-necked white shirt, a pair of jeans and a Bordeaux belt. Over his shirt, he wore a green jacket and his feet were covered in black boots. Though she would deny she ever thought this, Edna had to admit he looked better than he did a few years ago.  
She took her pajamas and left the room, going to the bathroom. There she brushed her teeth and got changed, though she did not return immediately. Staring at her reflection, she kept asking herself where the Key Master should sleep. She had not thought about this when she agreed to let him sleep at her place. What was she supposed to do now? She could not demand he should leave; it would be unfair. Perhaps she should talk to him about this...  
"Yes, I should talk to him", Edna decided and left the bathroom. When she returned to her room, the Key Master did not sit at her desk anymore and the plate, the glass and bottle of apple juice were gone. She looked around and found him sitting on her bed, wearing nothing but his underpants. Edna stared at him with a wide open mouth, clearly having not expected anything like this.  
"You don't happen to have some spare pajamas in my size now, do you, Princess?", he asked, smirking at her expression. Edna shook her head to clear it and replied:  
"Let me see..."  
She walked over to her closet and took out the box where she kept her parents' clothes. She spent several minutes rummaging through old sweaters, jeans, shirts, dresses, underwear and so on until she found an oversized gray shirt. Edna never understood why Mattis owned it, for three or four of him would have fitted in this. At least it was something. She threw the old shirt to the Key Master, who caught it, and put the box back into her closet.  
"Um, you know... I just realized I have no idea where you could sleep", she shyly confessed, standing at her bed. She bit her bottom lip and scratched her arm, waiting for an unpleasant reaction.  
"Oh? Well then...", the Key Master, who was now wearing the gray shirt, started talking, "I guess I will just have to sleep in here."  
He smirked at Edna's comical face; her jaw almost hit the floor when she dropped it and her eyes almost popped out of their holes. Unintelligible stammer made their way out of her mouth.  
"A-a-a-a-and where... where am I sup... supposed to sleep?", she finally managed to ask.  
"Who said you can't sleep here?", he retorted, moving over a bit to make room for her. Edna blushed, never having shared the bed with another human being – except the times when she went to her father in her childhood – but never as adult with another adult. She was not even sure if she should agree with this, there was something inappropriate about this.  
"Come on, I won't bite or do anything else you don't want me to", he encouraged her. Edna gulped and nodded.  
"I'm going to trust you on that...", she joined him in bed while saying this. The Key Master was out like a light almost immediately, but she stayed awake. If she had to, she would stay awake all night long...

* * *

Author's note: The part where Gerret's breaking the fourth wall is a shout out to the games, where the fourth wall got occasionally broken, too.


	5. Into The Woods

**Chapter Five**

 **Into The Woods**

This chapter began on a fine Sunday morning at a quaint little house on a peaceful countryside. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue; the sun gave off pleasant warmth while the birds were singing a merry little song. A young girl, a couple of years short of her teenage years, watered the flowers she had planted earlier in the year, singing along with the birds. This girl had blond hair, tied in two braids with rose-colored ribbons. On her head was a bow in the same color and she wore a white summer dress, which she wore a rose-colored top underneath. At first glance, one would think she was the nicest girl in the whole wide world, the kind of person who would have a permanent spot on Santa's nice list... Think again! She was the reason a convent school had to close down due the lack of students. The knowledge of what she did to her classmates still horrified her but she had learned to live with it but she was going to make sure it would not happen again.  
"Lilli, breakfast's ready!", a woman called.  
"Coming!", the girl called back. She put the watering can down and entered the house through the backdoor, coming into the kitchen. This room was filled with the delicious smell of scrambled eggs and bacon. A man sat at the table, reading the newspaper, while the woman, who was calling for Lilli, was filling three plates. Lilli left the kitchen and went to the bathroom to wash her hands, returning three minutes later. She joined the man at the kitchen table.  
"Good morning, Lilli", he greeted her, looking up from his newspaper.  
"Morning, Dad", she responded. It had been easy for her to call her adoptive parents "mom" and "dad", since she lost her biological parents when she was very young. Her father was lost at sea and her mother died only a year later after suffering from an illness for a very long time. Since then, she had lived in a convent school as Mother Superior's walking doormat, hated by her – though Mother Superior hated children in general – and most of the other kids, for weird things had happened ever since Lilli came to the convent school.  
Yes, some people might ask why this married couple had adopted Lilli of all the children at the orphanage. Fortunately, nothing strange had happened ever since the blond girl became a part of the small family.  
"What are you planning to do today, sweetie?", her adoptive mother asked her as she placed the plates on the table. Lilli shrugged in response:  
"I don't know. Guess I just have to wait and see."  
"We could go to the zoo. How about it?", her adoptive father suggested. Lilli grinned like a Cheshire Cat:  
"Sure!"  
And so, she happily ate her scrambled eggs and bacon.

* * *

When the Key Master woke up, he found Edna sleeping with her arms around him. She had a peaceful look on her face. A strand of hair fell into her face; he tugged it behind her ear. Everything was quiet and tranquil; nothing disturbed the silence of the early morning hours until...  
"Edna?", Tina called from the other side of the door after she knocked. "Are you awake yet?"  
The Key Master's eyes widened; he glanced at Edna, who did not seem to have heard her housemate. What was he supposed to do? Would Tina just enter the room if she received no answer? If she did, how would she react seeing an unknown man together in a bed with Edna? Fortunately, he was a master of voice imitation and Edna's voice was one he could do.  
"What is it? I was sleeping", he called back languidly, sounding just like a tired Edna.  
"Sorry", Tina said from the other side of the door. "I just wanted to tell you I'll be gone all day. Oh, and your boss called last night when you didn't come to work. I told him you were sick and he was about to fire you, but I could convince him to give you another chance. Well, for the next two weeks, you have to work every night. But not tonight; he thinks you're still recuperating."  
"Oh, thanks for telling me that", the Key Master replied, still in the voice of the sleeping girl next to him.  
"I'll be off now, bye", and with that, Tina was gone. The Key Master sighed in relief; a catastrophe had just barely been averted. He glanced at Edna once again, amazed how she could sleep through all this. Was she that exhausted? Whatever the reason, he decided to just let her sleep and got up... or rather tried to, for she tightened her grip around him. Unable to move, he remained lying and waited for her to wake up. He took his time to let his eyes wander around. It was not the kind of room that screamed 'girl's room', as he had already noticed the previous night, though it did not scream 'boy's room' either. If one would ask him, he would call it gender-neutral. But what he liked best about this room, and he could not deny it, were the pictures and clay sculptures. He wondered if Edna had made them by herself; her housemate had mentioned that she had made one.  
The Key Master heard groans coming from Edna and felt her stirring. He set his eyes on her, curious to see her reaction when she realized their position. Her eyes fluttered open, slowly but surely. With sleepy eyes, she looked at the Key Master, who smirked at her, waiting for her reaction. Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes moved around, widening as she realized something. With a shriek, she let go of him and moved away from him, falling off the bed.  
"Ow...", she rubbed her behind, glaring up at the Key Master. "What the hell did you do!?"  
"Hey, I'm innocent. I woke up like this, you were the one who put their arms around me", he defended himself. Still glaring, Edna took Harvey, who was also on her bed and asked him:  
"Is he telling the truth?"  
Edna sighed a moment later, putting Harvey back on her bed, and stood up and stared at the Key Master as though she only realized something at this moment.  
"Wait a minute... why didn't Tina come running when I screamed?", she wondered, glancing at the door as if expecting an answer from it.  
"She's not home, she's out all day long", the Key Master replied. Edna stared at him, astonishment written all over her face.  
"How do you know that?"  
"She told me, or should I say, thought she told you? She was knocking at your door earlier", he added after seeing her confused face.  
"What!?", Edna exclaimed, her astonishment having been replaced by utter horror.  
"Calm down, you're forgetting something; I can imitate voices", he reminded her and then spoke in her voice: "Everything's peachy!"  
"Please, stop! That's creepy!", she shrieked, shuddering. "At least she doesn't know..."  
"Luckily, she didn't come into your room", the Key Master pointed out. "I kept expecting her to come in."  
"Yeah, she doesn't do this unless she gets the permission", Edna explained while looking for something to wear during the day. The Key Master nodded; he could not remember hearing of someone doing this but he was glad Tina was like this. Who would know what would be going on now? Well, nothing would be calm, everything would be chaotic instead. And, to be fair, Tina had no reason to think anyone but Edna was talking to her.  
"By the way, you didn't go to work last night."  
The Key Master watched Edna's reaction; she was stooping as she was picking up an article of clothing she had dropped, so she stood up and turned around to look at him. Her eyes wandered around with a faraway look in them. Then they widened and were directed at the Key Master. A gasp escaped her as she let her clothes drop.  
"Oh shit!", she cursed. She looked like she wanted to bang her head against the wall. "I completely forgot about my work! I bet I'm fired now!"  
"You're not; your housemate somehow – don't know how, though – convinced your boss to not fire you. But you have to work every night for the next two weeks."  
Edna sighed in relief, plopping on her bed. Feeling the need to show her sympathy in some way, he moved closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and gave him a small smile:  
"Thanks for telling me that. But I bet I have to work tonight."  
"Hey, you had to know. No need to thank me. And no, you don't have to work tonight", he said. "But how about you show me the hideout you were talking about yesterday?"  
"How about breakfast first? And getting dressed?", Edna counter-questioned now smirking.  
"Sounds like a good idea. You don't mind of I use your shower, do you?", the Key Master responded with a smirk on his face.  
"Only if you don't mind smelling like a magnolia", Edna giggled, then adding: "There's a store just around the corner. I can buy shower gel for you."  
She studied his face with a thoughtful expression. The Key Master was aware of his five o'clock shadow, although he had not looked into a mirror for a few days. So he actually had no clue about the state of his beard growth.  
"And a razor", Edna added. Thinking he should really shave, as he did not want to look like a young Santa Claus, he nodded. He watched her getting up again, picking up her clothes and leaving her room. Not wanting to sit around, he decided to look for the kitchen and perhaps start on making breakfast.

* * *

Edna was currently in the shower, replaying the conversation she just had with the Key Master over and over again in her mind. It was like the incident in the church never happened, like they always got along. The thought kind of scared her and yet, at the same time, she liked the thought. But why? She could not explain it. Was it because he was the only person around who knew how it felt like to be in hiding, to be on the run? Sure, Tina was a great friend and her colleague Anika was one of the nicest people out there, and she got Harvey but with them, it was not the same. She and the Key Master were probably the only ones in the asylum who were confined in a solitary cell. But did Doctor Marcel erase his memories too? Well, she could ask him but she did not dare to. He had no reason to answer the question and, admittedly, she was a little afraid he would remember unpleasant things and get angry at her. No, she would ask him when she felt the time was right. Furthermore, there was another question on her mind.  
Edna turned the shower off and got out. She dried her body with a towel before combing her hair and then blow-drying it. Once she was dry from head to toe, she got dressed. Satisfied with her look, she took her pajamas and brought them back to her room.  
"Huh? Where's the Key Master?", she wondered aloud as she dumped her pajamas on her bed. "Harvey, have you seen him?"  
"He left your room shortly after you did. But I don't know where he went", he replied. Edna's eyes widened as one thought crossed her mind. What if he was out, murdering an innocent person? Holding Harvey close to her pounding heart, she rushed out of her room. The former patient of an asylum was about to run out of her apartment when she smelled something. She stopped, wondering where the smell came from.  
"Do you smell that, Harvey?"  
"How? My nostrils aren't real."  
"I think it's coming from the kitchen..."  
Edna followed the smell to the kitchen, where she found the Key Master making breakfast. She stared at him in surprise, not believing what she was seeing. He made a big stack of chocolate pancakes and they looked delicious. Who knew he could make such mouth-watering pancakes?  
"Hello, Princess", he greeted her. "I hope you don't mind; I didn't want sit around doing nothing."  
"If they taste like they smell and look, I'm gonna kiss you", Edna said in a trance-like state.  
"What!?", Harvey screamed, but Edna either did not hear him or ignored him. She was too focused on the breakfast. If she had her eyes on the Key Master instead of the stack of pancakes, she would have noticed his dumbfounded reaction. However it was soon gone as he was too busy making the last pancake.  
"Can you get the plates and cutlery?", he asked her as he took the plate with the stacks of pancakes. Edna put Harvey down next to the kitchen sink and got out the aforementioned items, following the Key Master to the living room. She returned a moment later to get a lagomorph friend and syrup. The Key Master had already divided their pancakes in equal portions and taken a seat; Edna sat opposite of him and put some syrup on her portion. She placed the bottle in the middle of the table, so that it was within the Key Master's reach, and started eating.

* * *

Alone. For years, she was alone, not even her ghosts kept her company. She was condemned to sew countless blue stuffed rabbits for Doctor Marcel. At least a quarter of her cell was filled with those rabbits. In front of her was a box full of voice boxes for these plush animals. For some reason, she did not have to sew the eyes on anymore. She was told someone else would do that. But why she had to make them, she did not know. Doctor Marcel never told her and she was forbidden from asking. In fact, she was not allowed to talk to anyone – if they were alive, he never mentioned dead people. However, she needed a campfire to communicate with ghosts and it was impossible for her to light one. While she had more than enough ignitable material in her cell, she was missing a match or lighter. She sighed and put the rabbit she was working on down; she needed a break. It was no easy task to work on hours to no end with minimal light. The only excitement she got during the day was when one of the employees came to her, though it was only to escort her to the bathroom facilities and to bring her food, always consisting of bread and water. Opposite of her was a window, through which she could communicate with other people, if they would come to talk to her. If lights were on, she would be able to see a door.  
The door opened and she could see a shadow, moving an arm to the side. A moment later, the room was draped in a bright light. She had to shield her eyes to not get blinded. She heard the person approaching and then saying:  
"Hello, Miranya."  
She restrained herself from groaning upon hearing his voice and, when she unshielded her eyes, held them back from rolling. A tall dark haired man in a lab coat had entered the room. If it were not for his cruel, twisted face, he would look rather handsome. But there was something about him that made others fear him.  
"Oh, no response?", Anes asked in mock-hurt. Miranya narrowed her eyes at him. Babbitt, Hulgor and Bladder were idiots but at least not as annoying as Anes. He unlocked the door to her cell, marched over her and gruffly grabbed her wrist. Miranya twisted her face in pain – at least the others did not grab her like Anes did. But she had to endure this; there was no one who would come for her rescue...

* * *

Far away from the mental institution, Lilli and her adoptive parents were getting in the car. They had finished breakfast about half an hour ago. Lilli was excited for the zoo, she loved animals. Back in the convent, she used to have a pet cockroach. However, it died because she forgot to stab air holes on the lid of its glass. She also helped termites to find a new home, which unfortunately caused the death of a classmate, though she would not have realized this until much later.  
"Everyone's ready? Does anyone need to do a little business?", her adoptive father asked.  
"Stefan, we all used the bathroom not even ten minutes ago", his wife reminded him, shaking her head good-naturedly.  
"Just had to make sure", Stefan grinned. Both females in the car giggled and he started the vehicle. Thus, an hour long drive to the zoo began.  
Lilli spent her time watching the passing landscapes through the twists and turns. Most of the time, it was just forest, though she saw a large meadow with a cow herd. It was such a beautiful day, perfect to be outside. She loved those kinds of days; they made her feel content and peaceful, and she was glad she could spend the day looking at animals. It was not long until they came on the freeway and from then on, it was just one long straight road.  
An hour later, the small family arrived in the next big city and at the zoo. Stefan parked the car at the nearby parking space. A line was forming at the zoo entrance. They joined the line, moving forward slowly but surely. Lilli sighed, she hated waiting. It was like being condemned was one's time doing nothing, instead of doing something productive. The only comfort she had was that the line was not too long... and that she would see exotic animals soon.

* * *

After they had finished breakfast, Edna went to a store to buy a couple of hygienic products for the Key Master. He had noted he was also in need of new clothes but she could not afford to buy some for him. She did not have that much money, though she did promise she would buy some when she was in a flush. Until then, he had to see; he could wear Mattis's old clothes but Edna doubted they would fit. Her father was far slimmer than the Key Master, although he had lost a lot of weight due the lack of square meals... or anything edible on a regular basis. But whatever it would take her, she would make sure he would live a better life. She felt she owed him that after almost killing him and she also hoped she could prevent him from murdering other people. She was aware the last part would be difficult, with school and work taking up most of her time; nevertheless she would give it her all. And perhaps all the Key Master needed was a second chance... if that really was his second chance...  
Edna paid for the hygienic products and went back home. She met no one on her way for which she was relieved. If somebody she knew would have seen her with those products, she did not know how to respond to their questions, especially if it were Heike or Daniel or Gabrielle. They would probably have a blast with her and everyone of her class would know she had a man for a visit by Monday morning. Really, it was none of their concerns what she did or who she spent her time with... even if she spent her time with a murderer.  
"I'm back!", she announced as soon as she entered her apartment. She found the Key Master in the living room, looking at Tina's movie collection. He turned around and walked over to Edna to take the items she bought.  
"Interesting movie collection", he remarked.  
"Those are all Tina's. Mine are all in my room", Edna explained.  
"Ah, that explains some things. You don't seem like the kind of person who likes musicals", he smirked. "There's something strange about the image of you watching  
 _The Sound of Music_ or singing along the songs."  
Edna suddenly had the mental image of herself dressed like a nun, dancing around a meadow and singing the title song from _The Sound of Music_. It was strange and yet, kind of comical.  
"Well, Tina does sometimes sing the _Do Re Mi_ song from the movie", Edna noted. "Actually, she tends to sing some of her musical songs whenever she's cooking or baking."  
"I hope it doesn't disturb the neighbors", the Key Master grinned, going to Edna's room to get his clothes. Then he went to the bathroom; Edna heard the shower running a moment later. She decided to make some sandwiches, with Harvey sitting on the kitchen counter.  
"I thought you were only showing him the hideout", he remarked, watching her putting ham, cheese and tomatoes on a slice of toast.  
"Yes, but it does need some work to make it livable, so I'm making provisions. And you forget, he doesn't have anything there, so the least I can do is to give him food and drink", she responded.  
"But he's going to need more!", Harvey exclaimed. Edna shrugged and went to the refrigerator to get turkey sausage, replying:  
"Well, until I find a better solution, I just gonna have to give him something from our fridge regularly."  
"Then I hope you find one soon. Tina's gonna notice if our amount of food's diminishing faster than it used to."  
"I know... But I want to help him as much as I can. He deserves a second chance..."  
Edna continued making sandwiches in silence until she felt she had made enough. She packed them all in several lunchboxes, which were all packed in a rucksack, along four bottles of water. Satisfied with her work, she leaned against the kitchen counter and smirked at Harvey:  
"Not bad, huh? Okay, it won't be as delicious as his pancakes, though we have something edible at least."  
"So, you're saying the pancakes tasted as they smelled and looked?"  
"Um, yeah. Why are you asking?", Edna's smirked turned into a quizzical look. Harvey just grinned and told her in a gleeful voice:  
"That means you have to kiss him."  
"WHAT!?", she exclaimed, jumping away from the counter as if it gave her a shock.  
"You told him if the pancakes taste like they look and smell you were going to kiss him."  
"I did not", Edna retorted the moment the Key Master, washed and dressed, arrived in the kitchen.  
"What did you not do?", he questioned. Edna addressed him:  
"I didn't tell you I would kiss you, did I?"  
"Um, you did", he responded, looking rather uncomfortable. Harvey gave Edna a "Told-You-So" look. "But you don't have to give me one immediately."  
"Yet, I still don't feel better about this..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the zoo, Lilli and her family made the decision to see the kangaroos first. These animals were actually the closest, which was why they decided to see them first. From then on, they would just follow the path and look at many members of the animal kingdom as possible.  
"Look at them bouncing", Stefan remarked smilingly as they stopped at the kangaroo enclosure. "If only I had a camera."  
"Dad, you keep saying that but you never save up for one", Lilli responded, following a kangaroo bouncing around with her eyes.  
"Oh, you're wounding my heart, Oh Little One", Stefan placed a hand over his heart and went down on his knees, making choking noises. Both Lilli and her mother giggled at his act. People walking past stopped and stared, some were even clapping. Stefan stood up, grinned at the crowd and took a bow. The crowd dispatched once the little show was over and the small family made their way towards the koalas. These marsupials were either climbing trees in their enclosure or eating leaves from a eucalyptus tree; then there were some playing with each other or sleeping peacefully. Lilli had to smile at these cute creatures. No matter what they did, they looked simply adorable at it. They were even more adorable than the cockroaches, termites, and spiders she secretly kept as pets in the convent school, and those were already such cuties. So far, she had only seen two animals and yet, she loved every minute she spent her time here in the zoo and she is going to love the countless minutes to come. She and her family went on, stopping at each enclosure the came across, seeing animals from all over the world, ranging from Down Under, Africa, South America over North America and Europe to Asia. Penguins represented Antarctica. Lilli found penguins were weird little creatures; they had a funny way of moving around and looked like they were wearing suits. Other birds were not so formally dressed.

* * *

With a heavy rucksack on her back and Harvey in her arms, Edna led the Key Master to a long trek to the outskirts of her hometown and into the woods. He had offered to carry the rucksack in her stead but she refused; she thought it would be unfair if he were to take the heavy weight. Incidentally, he thought the same about her having the rucksack on her back. If they would be able to read each other's thought or simply speak what they were thinking out loud, they would perhaps come to a comprise. But there was none as neither of them had the ability to read minds and none of them vocalized their thoughts. Therefore Edna walked with heavy luggage under the blazing sun. She was covered in sweat and her legs felt like lead. Yet, she refused to let the Key Master help her. He did not know whether he should be amazed by her determination or be annoyed by her stubbornness. Whatever he should feel, he could not look at this any longer; he marched over to her and gruffly took the rucksack from her back.  
"Hey!", Edna barked, red in her face, although the Key Master could not tell if it was from the heat or from her anger or if this was a combination of both.  
"You were about to collapse", he stated simply, hoisting the rucksack on his back, surprised by its weight. "What is in there anyway? Bricks?"  
"Just some provisions", Edna stated. She then looked at Harvey and added: "Be quiet, Harv."  
"How long is it to the hideout?", the Key Master inquired. "If it's still far, then maybe we should take a break."  
"A break really does sound nice", she replied, leaning against a tree. The Key Master put the rucksack down and sat down next to her. For a moment, they rested in tranquility, only Edna's heavy breathing and singing birds made some kind of sounds. He was used to the quiet, having spent years in solitude, rarely getting any visitors – and those were always either Doctor Marcel or therapists. However, he was now wary of the quiet after blocking out the noises Edna made because he ended up being covered in bruises and his own blood and he had a broken arm. He never received any medical treatments, so his arm was never properly healed. It was not so bad as long as he did not strain it.

* * *

"Hey, Key Master?"  
"Hm?", he glanced at Edna, who was studying his face.  
"What's your name?"  
She watched him as he turned away from her, gazing up at the green foliage, which had a tint of gold. His face showed no emotion, he might as well be playing poker. It was like wearing non-transparent sunglasses, she thought as she examined his expressionless face. This was how she had met him in the asylum; everybody else had shown emotion but he did not. Although he came across as normal, she had even then been unsure whether she should trust him or not. At this moment, she was wondering the same thing and wished she still had her polo mallet – she had lost it some time during her time in the convent school.  
"Why do you want to know this?", the Key Master asked at last, setting his eyes back on Edna.  
"Well, I can't call you 'Key Master' forever and you have to have an actual name. I would like to call you by that instead."  
"Oh, I don't care if you keep calling me that", he responded, once again looking up to the top of the trees. "Names aren't important."  
"Names aren't important? How can you say that? A name tells you who you are, it gives you an identity. So, how can you claim th-", Edna broke off, comprehension dawning on her face. "Do... do you remember your real name?"  
"No", the Key Master admitted. "And, honestly, I don't care. I've been called 'Key Master' for so long, it doesn't matter anymore. Names may have meanings, but does it mean we all live up to it?"  
"I guess not..."  
"Do you even know what your name means?"  
Edna stared at him in surprise. Now that he mentioned it, what did her name mean? She had never thought about this before; all she knew was that her full name was Edna Konrad but she had not once in her life questioned why her parents gave her this name and not any other. For all she knew, she could be named after her great-grandmother or her parents just liked the name. Whatever the reason was, she did not know the meaning of the name 'Edna'.  
"No", she shook her head. "And I reckon you don't know it either?"  
"I'm no expert on names", he stated, standing up. He dusted off his pants before offering Edna a hand. "Let's go on."  
She nodded in agreement and took his hand. He helped her up and took her rucksack, ignoring her protests. She took Harvey in her arms and led him through the forest for another two hours.

* * *

It was like any other normal day in the asylum, even if one ought to scratch the word "normal" from the local vocabulary. King Adrian was in his castle, made of cushions and padding, while Drogglejug was standing guard. The Beeman drew a picture of a lonely bird in a cage with the wax crayons he refused to share with others. Therefore, the other inmates had to draw with pencils or were doomed with the curse that turned clay into shapeless blobs, which were supposed to be ash trays – the curse known as occupational therapy. Peter, depressive as always, and Petra, overly cheerful as always, were doing a puzzle. Everything was the way it usually was in the recreation room until...  
"NO!"  
The unexpected, anguished scream caused Drogglejug, Peter and Petra to look at the doors next to the shelf with the board games. A moment later, a red-faced Bruce Broker stormed through these doors. Both his hands and jaw were clenched, he looked like he was about to erupt like a volcano.  
"I can't believe it! I just can't believe!", he ranted, pacing back and forth.  
"Drogglejug?"  
"I spent years of getting back to where I was once before on the stock market! But thanks to that good-for-nothing Professor Nock and his absurd attempts to create a dinosaur army, I lost everything once again!", Bruce still sounded mad but as he reached the end of his rant, he sighed and gloomily sat next to Peter. He just stared at the broken man next to him, making no attempts in cheering him up. However, Petra gave Bruce a toothy smile and spoke in her perpetual jovial voice:  
"See it this way; you can now spend time with your fellow human beings. Money's not everything."  
Bruce stared at her as if she had grown a second head. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets, his mouth hung wide open. Peter decided to go on the run. Drogglejug stayed where he was but put ear plugs he took out of nowhere in his aural organs.  
"What did you say?", Bruce asked in a strained voice.  
"Only that money's not everything. There are more important things than that", the oblivious Petra replied.  
"Drogglejug...", he sighed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Bruce's face took an unpleasant shade of red; he narrowed his eyes at the happy blond. Then, so fast it gave everyone in the room a start, he jumped up and started shouting:  
"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT, WOMAN!? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!? I JUST LOST EVERYTHING, MY WHOLE EXISTENCE!"  
While shouting, he leaned over the table dangerously close to Petra's face. Even she was not smiling anymore, instead her face showed discomfort and a little fear. Heavily breathing, Bruce moved away from her and started to walk away just as a loud, booming voice rang out:  
"What is the meaning of this?"  
King Adrian had emerged from his castle. Standing tall, with a bucket on his head, he looked from Drogglejug over to Bruce to Petra and then to a small group playing some kind of board game before he moved his eyes back to Drogglejug.  
"Drogglejug", he explained.  
"I see", King Adrian approached the broken business man. "Bruce Broker, what gives you the right to shout at an innocent person like Petra?"  
"B-b-but if she hadn't told me money wasn't everything", he started to defend himself, but he was interrupted by the King:  
"Silence! For disturbing the tranquility of the recreation room, I sentence you to two weeks of joke duty! You'll be my personal court jester for the next fourteen days!"  
King Adrian returned to his castle, leaving behind a flabbergasted Bruce.

* * *

Everything was in engulfed in darkness, only an infinitesimal amount of light shone through the foliage and branches. Both the Key Master and Edna kept tripping over stones and tree trunks. Once, Edna tripped over a trunk into a bush; twigs and leaves were sticking out of her hair from every direction when she recovered... and still did. The Key Master heard her cursing herself under her breath for not remembering to bring a flashlight. He simply ignored her mutterings; it made no sense to be crying over spilt milk. It could be worse; they could be caught and brought back to the asylum but even if they were to meet Doctor Marcel and his minions, he doubted they would be capable of capturing him and Edna in this thick forest. Also, they had no reason to look for them here; the Key Master and Edna had evaded them for years, so there was no reason they should get caught.  
"We should be almost there; I can hear a river flowing", Edna reported as the forest began to thin out. The Key Master listened closely; he could hear a river too. He hoped people never traveled on the body of water with their boats... or that the hideout was at least out of sight. For the moment, all he could see was a hill. Was the hideout a cave and the entrance was on the other side? If this was the case, he did not know whether he should be glad or not. Then again, he should have expected a one, as he never specified what kind of place he wanted. Therefore, he had no reason to blame Edna. His old hideout was not that bad, either. It was better than nothing.  
They walked towards the hill, where the Key Master spotted a little wooden cottage at the foot of the hill. He wondered how he missed it; the house was not that difficult to see. But who built this? And could he be sure no one would unexpectedly come here? Close to the cottage was an old well, like the one people used in the middle ages to get water. Edna walked towards it, beckoning at the Key Master to follow her, which he did. Initially he thought she was leading him to the house but instead they walked up the hill. The ascension took some time as they were both a little tired from walking so much, he more so as he was carrying the rucksack. But at last, they reached the top of the hill and were greeted with a beautiful view of a little spot of treeless land on the other side of the forest, or more commonly known as meadow. It was almost like a small sanctuary for a person who wanted peace and quiet from the world out there... or for a hermit, except that those kinds of people usually hide out in the mountains. Nonetheless, the Key Master was satisfied with the location as he observed the view. Close to the house he noticed a pond big enough to be called a lake, apparently manmade with a channel leading to a nearby river. He was pretty sure it was not the river head because the pond seemed to connect to the river just from somewhere on the side and not from the beginning, like an exceptionally short tributary river.  
"I found it by coincidence a few years ago. It was shortly after I moved here, I went exploring and found this place but I haven't been here often", she explained. "So, I don't know if somebody lives there. But it was the only place I could think of."  
"Well, we will see", the Key Master remarked. "At least it's an improvement to the cave I hid in."  
He started descending the hill, followed by his female companion and her stuffed lagomorph. It was definitely a gorgeous place to spend their time at, although he kind of doubted he had electricity and heat. But these were not important, except the latter when the cold seasons began. He reckoned he could use water from the pond, river and well when he needed to.  
"Well, the door's not closed", he heard Edna say and he also heard her saying something to that sounded like "you're right" to her rabbit. Then she entered the house, the Key Master followed closely behind her. The first thing he noticed was the lack of lamps, everything inside the small building was lit by the light outside, which shone through the windows, though it was not much. In a corner, opposite of the entrance door, was a fireplace and in front of it was a violet bean bag chair, not unlike the one in the cave he had found not too long ago. A bed, big enough for one person, stood in the other corner opposite of the entrance. Unfortunately, both the blanket and the pillow were rather moth-eaten. The rest of the interior consisted of a closet, a table and a chair, all made of wood. Between the fireplace and the bed was another door, which, when the Key Master checked, led to a room that seemed to be the bathroom... from a few centuries ago. Still, there was something each object had in common; they were all covered in a thick layer of dust. Apparently, this place was abandoned by whoever used to live here. With a little work, this might turn into a nice place.  
"It looks good, but I could need a few items", the Key Master told Edna after observing the hut. "Like a new blanket or pillow. Or candles."  
"I could bring them to you tomorrow or later", she offered.  
"And I see no fridge or any other place I could keep food and drinks in. Not to mention we have to brush the dust off everything."  
"Well, we just have to build something for your nourishments, but as for the dust, we could start dusting off now."  
"Don't tell me you brought a duster with you. Your rucksack's heavy."  
The Key Master took the rucksack off and leaned it against the closet. He stretched himself, glad to be rid of the heavy weight. Edna had taken a seat on the bed, playing with the moth-eaten blanket while holding Harvey.  
"Nope, no duster", she replied, shaking her head. "But we can use our clothes. It's just dust, and not poop or something."  
"Well, you can, but I can't. What I'm wearing are my only clothes! I threw away my gown from the asylum after I stole these!", he angrily told her. She stopped playing with the blanket and held Harvey close to her chest, her eyes widening in fear. He glared at her, causing her to pull her knees up, so that she sat in fetal position on the bed. Then, slowly, she moved her feet back to the floor and stood up. Edna approached the Key Master and said, standing tall:  
"Then I will do this. I don't mind getting dirty. But you wait outside."  
"And why should I wait outside?", the Key Master retorted, still glaring.  
"None of your goddamn business", Edna responded, now donning the same facial expression as the Key Master.  
"Oh, I think that's my business!"  
"And I'm still not gonna tell ya. Y'know, we could keep up with this all day long and not get anywhere."  
He continued glaring at her but she remained firm. Even though he was angry at her for her poor planning, he was impressed by strong attitude. She was certainly not like this after he killed the reverend; she had appeared like an insecure, frightened child back then. The time when he could come across as the only normal person in an asylum or when he could scare her into being silent was over as was the time he manipulated people for his own gain. Despite having his doubts, he had the hope she would forgive him for all of this.  
"Well? Are you going to get out or not?", Edna asked, looking expectedly at him. The Key Master groaned:  
"Alright, I will go outside, but you better be telling me what you are doing when you're done."  
After receiving an affirmative nod from her, he left the house.

* * *

The day in the zoo ended for Lilli and her family around late afternoon, after seeing the elephants. Lilli held in her arms a stuffed panda, which her parents bought her. She decided to call it Huang Li. She wondered if he was as funny as the blue rabbit she encountered several times a few years ago. When she met Mother Superior Ignatz in a cell in some kind of mental institution, she gave the rabbit to her. But after police reinforcements arrived and freed Edna and Gerret, the former somehow got the rabbit from the Mother Superior. She did not know how and never saw either of them again because Gerret put her in an orphanage, where she was adopted from. Lilli loved her adoptive parents and her new life, but missed her only friend from the convent school. It would be great if she could see Edna again and maybe introduce Huang Li to the rabbit.  
With her mind on her old friend, Lilli watched the passing landscapes as her father drove the car homeward. After having spent all day walking around, with a thirty minute break for lunch, Lilli was exhausted. There was once a time when she ran back and forth, doing chores for other people, but the time was over. Ever since she had given it to Doctor Marcel straight, she stopped being a walking doormat for everyone. She did not do chores for everybody anymore, just her own... and when somebody she liked politely asked her. Another good thing was that people stopped interrupting her when she wanted to say something and just assumed what she wanted to say. Although they were correct from time to time, it was still annoying.  
"Did you have fun at the zoo, sweetie?", her mother asked her.  
"Yes. Yes, I did", the blond confirmed.  
"You know, we could go on an actual holiday once summer vacation starts. How about it?"  
"I'd love to go on a holiday!"  
Lilli was grinning; she had never been on a holiday before. This was going to be her best summer ever.

* * *

Far away from the joyous Lilli was the curmudgeon Doctor Marcel in his office, staring out to the horizon from his office window. His employees had once again shown their incompetence earlier that day. Bladder had left his post in the surveillance room to relieve himself and René was attending a therapy while Babbitt and Hulgor were talking with the security at the entrance about sports. So, with no one to keep an eye on the loonies, two almost managed to escape. It was only his timely arrival back from the village that prevented them from escaping. This caused Doctor Marcel to give his employees an hour-long reprimand about keeping an eye on the resident patients but not before he gave the two would be escapees a shock therapy. He sighed; life could be so much easier if his minions were more intelligent. But the only one whose intelligence quotient was higher than that of a student of a special school had his day off. Still, Anes was the best thing that happened to his institution in the last few years. Doctor Marcel could imagine that he would take over one day. Better him than the other employees or, worse, his son Ruben. He shuddered at the thought. There was no way the walking failure that was supposed to be his oldest son would ever take over his establishment. If Alfred were still alive, he would be taking over some time in the future.  
"Curse that Konrad girl", he muttered under his breath, each syllable dripping with venom. Why did she not die instead of his son? And how did her father suggest Alfred and Edna could have a future together? Yes right, his perfect son involved with a shifty, wild girl capable of murder. If Edna had not killed Alfred, he would have stuck Mattis in his asylum... and his daughter too while he was at it. Why did he ever waste his time with the Konrad family? The daughter was an indomitable wretch of a girl and the father had balls of glass. He should have moved to another house the moment he met the family and learned they lived just next door or, alternately, forced his correction of character method on Edna. Both options were more preferable than what actually happened.  
"Enter", he called after hearing a knock. He did not turn around; he just kept staring out the window and listened to the newcomer approaching his desk slowly.  
"Father, I came to tell you that it's time to see Miranya."  
Doctor Marcel clenched his fist when he heard the voice reporting to him. Had he not told his son to never enter his office? His good-for-nothing son was supposed to remain in the sewers under the asylum. But he had never really listened to him, Doctor Horatio Marcel. The boy – he refused to refer to his oldest son as "young man" – kept lurking around the hallways and rooms of his institution. The only good thing about this was that he scared both his employees and patients, still it also cost him an eye after this Lilli girl pierced a broken chair leg through his ocular organ. Both Doctor Marcel and his oldest son had only one working eye.  
"Ruben, did I not tell you to not come into my office or in any other room of this establishment for that matter ever?", Doctor Marcel asked through clenched teeth; a vein was popping on his forehead.  
"I'm sorry, father, but I overheard René and Hulgor talking about this and they're both too afraid to tell you this", Ruben explained in a slightly quivering voice. Doctor Marcel refrained himself from sighing, only exclaiming "Pah!" before rolling out of his office, followed by his oldest son.

* * *

"There! Looks much better now", a satisfied Edna beamed. She scanned the interior of the house with her eyes. The thick layer of dust was gone, however there was still much to do. Still, it had improved over the last few minutes.  
"I don't know. I think it looked better with all the dust", Harvey commented from his seat on the bed.  
"Harv, the Key Master is supposed to live here for an unknown amount of time. He should have it comfortable at l- what?", Edna frowned at the face Harvey made. It looked like he was trying to raise an eyebrow.  
"Don't you think you're overdoing it with helping him?"  
"Why do you think that? Look, I just want to atone for almost killing him. You know I felt bad when I thought he was dead", she told her rabbit.  
"You're absolutely positive it's nothing more?", he inquired.  
"A hundred percent sure", she assured him. Admittedly, however, she was puzzled what her little blue friend meant. Why should there be more than her conscience? She would do the same to anyone who died because of her and then turned out to be alive. It was the least she could do. What else was she suppose to do? Tell the Key Master she was glad he was alive and then just abandon him to his fate? Well, she had to admit that she was annoyed when he followed her the night of their reunion but after some reconsideration, she was still willing to help him. Everything could have turned out worse; he could have killed her and countless other people – well, he did kill people though she doubted it was countless of them – but he did not and he deserved a chance. Yes, everyone deserved a second chance... except Doctor Marcel.  
"Well, I'm gonna tell the Key Master he can come back in", she told Harvey while heading towards the entrance door. She opened it and called to the Key Master, who currently lying on his back a few meters away from the house:  
"Hey, you can come back in!"  
Edna watched him standing up; he stretched himself and dusted his shirt off. Then he bent down to take the green jacket from the ground and headed towards her.  
"Are you going to te- What happened to your shirt?"  
The Key Master stared at the aforementioned article of clothing for it was covered with dirt. Edna simply shrugged and gave him a tiny smile:  
"I used my shirt as a duster. I told you I don't mind getting dirty."  
She was met by a dumbfounded stare by the Key Master. It seemed he was momentarily lost for words. Concluding it might take some time until he was able to speak again, she approached the river and held her hands in there to wash off the dirt. After she was done, she returned to the house and opened her rucksack, taking out the four bottles of water as well as two sandwiches. She opened one bottle and took a swig out of it before holding out a sandwich to the Key Master.  
"Thanks", he said, taking it. "So, that's what you've been carrying in there? Just sandwiches and water?"  
"Yup", Edna confirmed with a full mouth.  
"But why so many?"  
"So that you won't have to starve or dehydrate."  
Edna sat on the bed and munched her sandwich while looking out of the window. She knew she would have to come here often to give the Key Master essential objects, yet she found she did not mind it. Probably because it was such a nice place and no one would come to bother them. In retrospect, why did she never come here if she wanted to enjoy the nature instead of the park, where Heike and her friends or lackeys, usually Daniel and Gabrielle, bullied her? Perhaps she should change that and come here from now. The Key Master was a much better company than Heike, after all. At least he would never go on a long rant about what makes him perfect and Edna doubted he sounded like a banshee when he laughed.  
"Are you planning to go home looking like this?", the Key Master asked her, nodding towards her shirt. He had finished his sandwich and had opened one of the still closed bottles.  
"Yeah, pretty much. Didn't think of taking another shirt with me", Edna shrugged.  
"When do you plan to get home? If you have enough time, you could just wash your shirt in the river and let it dry in the sun. You could wear my jacket in the meantime."  
Edna thought for a moment; she had planned to be home before Tina was back but seeing she had no watch with her, she was unsure if it was time for her to go. Why was she so scatterbrained today? If she had planned everything ahead, she would not be in such a dilemma. She looked at the Key Master with furrowed eyebrows.  
"Well, if you are unsure, then maybe you should just return home", he suggested, although she could hear something in his voice. She was not sure what it was but her gut feeling told her he did not want her to leave just yet. Even if she was right about this, she knew she could not. She still had school the next day and work, too.  
"You're right", Edna agreed with the Key Master. "I should better go."  
She stood up and emptied her rucksack; then she packed the bottle she drank from in there. With much lighter luggage on her back, she placed a hand on the Key Master's shoulder.  
"See you. I'll come visit after school; maybe I even do my homework here", she said, grinning at the last part.  
"Until tomorrow then", he replied, grinning back at her. As she was leaving, she was aware that he kept his eyes on her until she was out of sight. However, she was not aware that she forgot her blue friend.

* * *

Doctor Marcel glared at anyone he came across as he rolled down to the floor where he kept Miranya. Even if his therapy had not really worked like it was supposed to on Lilli, he was still determined to perfect it. For this, he planned to use blue stuffed rabbits to hypnotize the children of the world, but this time he made sure the hypnosis would not be overcome so easily. Ever since Ruben had gotten him out of jail, he had worked on it and he was now sure he had succeeded. Of course, he was still in need of a test subject – preferably Edna, although he would not mind it if it were Lilli. If only there was a way to get them both, then he would be satisfied. These two were a danger for their environment and especially their fellow human beings.  
"Babbitt!"  
Doctor Marcel stopped in front of the gate that separated the patients' dormitory and bathroom facilities from the rest of his asylum. Well, he had several dormitories, separated into males and females. They were each behind a gate, alongside the washrooms, a laundry room and a solitary cell. Currently, he was in front of the gate that led to the female patients' area. However, he could not reach the lock to open it and, seeing Babbitt walking past, he shouted for him.  
"You called, Doctor Marcel?", the mini golf enthusiast nervously asked, playing with his fingers.  
"Unlock this gate", the old man demanded.  
"Y-yes, sir."  
Babbitt took his key ring from his belt and, after spending several minutes looking for the right key, inserted it into the lock and turned it. Without even thanking him, Doctor Marcel rolled past him, waving for Babbitt to follow him, and stopped in front of a door. He opened it and turned on the light in this room. Everything in this room looked identical to its counterpart in the male area. In fact, he even kept Miranya in a cell in the male area – the very same cell the Key Master was once stuck in – until René told him of her request to be moved to the female area. Reason for this was an awkward moment involving Miranya being led to the bathroom facilities and entering them while Adrian was using the shower. Doctor Marcel agreed to this as he did not like the thought of what could possibly happen if male and females were kept in the same area. If the costs were not so high, he would even establish gender-segregated recreation rooms. But seeing nothing had happened yet, he found he could invest his money in other projects – namely his hypnosis project.  
"Hello, Miranya", he greeted the redhead menacingly after Babbitt unlocked and opened the cell door for the doctor. The lonesome woman looked up from the rabbit she was currently sewing. Blue rag doll rabbits covered the floor of her cell, making it impossible to walk or roll around without unintentionally stepping on one. Doctor Marcel rolled into the cell, stopping in front of one stuffed lagomorph and picking it up. It had no eyes, just like every other doll in this cell; they would be attached later by Doctor Marcel.  
"How are you progressing?", he asked, not approaching her any further. The medium gulped, replying in a tiny voice:  
"Quite well, Doctor. At least, I think I'm doing good progress..."  
"Hm, it could be better but you have improved", the doctor commented, examining another two or three dolls. "I'll send for someone to pick these up."  
He threw the dolls back on the floor, turned around and started to roll out when Miranya voiced a question she should not ask:  
"Doctor Marcel, why do you need so many rag doll rabbits?"  
He stopped and turned so that he was glaring at her with his single functional eye. She gulped and looked at him in fear; she tried to make herself small as if she was hoping he would not see her then.  
"Have I not forbidden you to ask questions?", Doctor Marcel asked venomously.  
"Y-yes, sir."  
"Then don't ask!"  
He left the cell, motioning to Babbitt to lock the door as soon as he was out.

* * *

It was slowly starting to get dark. A pleasant warm orange light bathed the skies as the golden sun set in this part of the world. The trees surrounding the land and hill where the Key Master's new hideout was located threw long, elongated shadows on the ground. Since Edna's departure, the Key Master walked around the perimeters of his new hiding place and was now on his way back into the house. He could only hope no unwanted visitors would suddenly turn up. On the other hand, judging from the layer of dust in the house, the prospects of this happening was minimal. Still, he should perhaps cater for these circumstances and build traps – at least he should think about it, whether or nor he would actually build them is an entirely different matter. Although he should perhaps talk to Edna about this as she was going to be his only visitor. The Key Master actually hoped she would return, like she said she would; he liked her company and it felt good to have somebody to talk to. She was the only one with whom he could speak to without worrying she would call the authorities. Furthermore, he just spotted a reason for her to come back. There, on the bed, lay Edna's treasured rabbit Harvey. The Key Master was puzzled; why would she leave her precious lagomorph made of terry cloth behind? It made no sense to him as she always carried him around, talked to him and was worried about his well-being. He decided he would give him back to her when she would visit him the following day. Until then, Harvey would remain on the bed, where he would not get lost.  
"Just what is so special about you?", the Key Master muttered to Harvey while the former sat down on the edge if the bed. The question had crossed his mind several times since he first met Edna. Was he perhaps her oldest toy? The Key Master was aware that people usually, though not always, tend to treasure their oldest toys. He was one of them too; his oldest toy was an action figure and he treasured and kept it for all his life until he was put in the asylum. He did not know what happened to it, but he would not be surprised if it was thrown away or sold. In fact, he did not particularly care; there were more important matters in his life and it had been so long he last held the action figure in his hands; he did not really miss it. Well, maybe just a little.  
"Whatever makes you special, I'll make sure you'll be back with Edna tomorrow", the Key Master told Harvey. Deciding to hit the hay, he took off his shirt and shoes, hanging the former over the back of the chair and placing the latter at the foot of the bed. Then he lay down and closed his eyes, soon falling asleep.

* * *

By the time Edna returned home, the sun had set and stars were sparkling in the night sky. The moon hung in the sky like a giant, silver golf ball. She knew it was late but she had the hope Tina had not returned yet. However, her hopes were shattered when she spotted the chubby blond sitting on the couch, eating instant noodles and watching _Muppet Treasure Island_.  
"Edna, where were you? I tried calling you on your phone but you didn't pi- What happened to your shirt?"  
Tina stared open-mouthed at her housemate's garment. Edna knew she probably looked like she spent hours rolling in dirt.  
"Oh, nothing too serious. I'll wash it tomorrow. Now, I just want to catch some Z's", she replied, while heading towards her room.  
"Well, alright. But next time, answer your phone. You're lucky you don't have to work tonight. Don't forget you have to work everyday for the next two weeks", Tina reminded her. Edna waved at her to indicate she heard her. Suddenly, she remembered she did not know at what time she was supposed to start her shift, so she turned to Tina and asked:  
"When am I supposed to start my shift again?"  
"The same time you usually have to work", Tina replied. Her eyes were back on the television a minute later. Edna nodded and voiced a word of thanks. She mentally sighed in relief that her housemate did not insist in getting an answer if her first question like an overprotective mother hen. Okay, Tina was just a little older than Edna, so she probably did not think she should be so overprotective. She could trust Edna and she knew it. But would she still trust her if she knew Edna was secretly helping out a murderer? Still, even if Edna told Tina the truth, what would her reaction be? Would she throw her out and call the police? Edna could not risk it.  
"Phew, that was a close one. Right, Harvey?", Edna sighed in relief as soon as she was back in her room. While she took the rucksack off her back she was listening closely for a reply from Harvey. However, it never came.  
"Harvey?"  
She scanned her room in search for her blue friend, once again calling out his name. No response. Edna sat on her bed, frowning, and went through her thoughts, retracing her steps in her mind. She knew she still had him when she was with the Key Master. After all, she had a conversation with Harvey after she used her shirt as a duster. Then, she and the Key Master were eating and drinking before she decided to return home. She had taken the bottle of water she drank from and her rucksack... Had she taken Harvey too? Edna's eyes widened in realization. She had left him with the Key Master! Oh, how could she be so stupid? Harvey was her best friend, why did she leave him behind? Edna paced around the room, mentally slapping herself for her stupidity. The worst thing was that she could not simply go out and get him back. It was late and the way to the hideout was long. They needed two and a half hours to reach this place during daytime; she would surely need twice as long in the dark. Then again, when she led him to the seemingly abandoned house, she had not been entirely sure of the path as she had not been there for some time. If she would visit the Key Master every day, she would perhaps get there faster over time and could even go through the woods in the dark. This was currently not possible yet, therefore she decided to get ready for bed and just go to sleep and get Harvey back after school the following day.  
It was dark, safe for a small light coming through a hole, and cramped. She was very light, hanging floppily from something on the ceiling. But why was she so light? And what kind of place was this? She moved her arms to scratch her head but felt nothing, just a thin, plastic thing. Why did she have no head? She lowered her arms to take a look at them, just to see they were no arms at all, instead they were sleeves. She would have screamed but could not, like she had lost her voice. Would the lack of a head and arms explain why she felt so light? If these two body parts were missing, then the rest of her body must be gone too. To test her theory, she moved her sleeves up and down her body. She felt no body, just some kind of fabric and a few buttons. So, she was no human being but an article of clothing. Then this dark place must a closet. No wonder it was so cramped. Still, she did not see any other article of clothing in here, so why did feel so cramped? Unexpectedly, she felt something heavy leaning against her. She looked down to see a little girl. This girl had her knees up to her chest, with her arms snaked around her knees. Her forehead rested against her kneecaps, so that she was unable to see anything in front of her. Well, it was dark, so there was nothing to see... The little girl's shoulders moved up and down and Edna could hear a faint sob coming from her. Edna wanted to put her sleeves around the girl but did not dare to. What if she thought she was being attacked? So, all she could do was to watch and hear a little girl cry...

* * *

Author's note: I've decided to make the ending in _Harvey's New Eyes_ , where Lilli finally speaks up, to be the one that occurred in my fanfiction's time line. I imagined she became more outspoken following this, which is why I let her day full sentences instead of just "uh".

And reviews and constructive criticisms are always welcome.


	6. Key Time

**Chapter Six**

 **Key Time**

Edna still remembered her dream vividly; it was one of those she had often. She did not need a therapist or psychologist to tell her what this dream meant; she already knew it. Also, it was kind of hard for her not to feel this way about closets and cabinets if her teacher would lock her in one every lesson, sometimes even going so far that she was not allowed to come out during break or long after the lessons for the day had ended. Her only company in there was Mister Hornbush's coat, which, in retrospect, looked more like it was tailored with a lady in mind or at least a slim person. If only she had a better, more tolerant teacher, who would not have taken sides, she would have probably enjoyed school more, albeit not as much as Alfred – no one loved school as much as he did – and she would certainly not be a little scared of closets.  
Edna reached her classroom, where a crowd had formed around somebody. She could not see who it was and, frankly, did not particularly care. It was not like it was something to get excited about. Without so much as looking at the crowd again, Edna walked to her seat, sat down and unpacked her books and folders, as well as her pencil case for her first lesson. Then she spent her time waiting for the lessons to begin by staring out of the window. It was a gorgeous day in early summer. If the temperatures would stay the way they were at the moment, or increase, it would be a perfect day to take a quick dip in a pool or a natural body of water.  
"Hey Edna?"  
Sebastian, who addressed her, and Bianca had come over to her. They stood in front of her desk, both of them giving her an inquiring and, also, a curious look. Edna turned away from the view outside and reciprocated their looks.  
"Yes? What is it?"  
"Is it true what Heike's been telling?", Bianca asked in a hushed voice, leaning close to Edna. She glanced over to where the crowd had been when she arrived; it had dissipated, only a few were still there and she could now see who they were gathered around. It was Heike, and Daniel and Gabrielle too.  
"It depends on what she's been saying", Edna responded, looking back at Sebastian and Bianca.  
"Well, she said you pushed her in the pond in the park last Friday", Bianca told her. Edna bit her bottom lip; she was still uncertain if she did the right thing. The fact that it reminded her of the circumstance regarding Alfred's death still bothered her. She could not stand Heike, yet she could not help but to feel relieved that she did not die because of her actions.  
"Yes, it is true", Edna admitted. Sebastian and Bianca's eyes widened and their jaws dropped synchronously. It was like their body parts had decided to become a synchronized swimming duo. Edna was not sure what to make of their expressions. Were they impressed or shocked? It was kind of hard to tell if they looked like goldfish.  
"Oh dear, this is not good", Bianca mumbled somewhat panicky.  
"Heike's planning to press charges against you", Sebastian explained at Edna's confused face. Now it was her jaw that was dropping and her eyes that were increasing their sizes. Perhaps she should have seen it coming but hearing Heike would really do this, or plan it, was still a shock. Edna chanced another glance at Heike, who was currently gossiping with Gabrielle and a few other girls. Then she glanced at the clock hanging above the door and sighed. She could not wait for school to be over...

* * *

While Edna was suffering in school, the Key Master suffered too... of boredom in his case. He woke up in the early morning hours and, after walking several times around the perimeter, was at a loss of what he could do to pass time. If only he had something with him, like a book or anything else that could keep him busy. He regretted not having asked her for something. Maybe he could go to town, but even then, what was he supposed to do there? He had no money and could therefore not by any supplies to clean his new hideout and make it more comfortable. Also, he was cautious of meeting people as they would probably recognize him as a murderer and escaped mental patient. Of course, Edna was an escaped mental patient too and she was still walking around freely, but there was one difference between her and him; she, unlike him, was not a murderer. Then again, he had not seen any wanted posters bearing his or Edna's face or that of the other three for some time now – and there were a lot of them shortly after their breakout. Nevertheless, it did not mean he was safe... Perhaps he should go for a walk through the forest later.  
The Key Master lay down on the grass with a sigh, his eyes directed towards the brilliant blue sky. Of all the mental institution he had to end up in, it had to be Doctor Marcel's. If he had been brought to one where they actually care for their patients and do their best to heal then, then maybe he would not have to lay here and be bored to death. This could be the case for everyone in Doctor Marcel's asylum if they had ended up in another mental institution. They could all be healed and have their place among society. Maybe not everyone, that would be utopian, but efforts would be made. The Key Master suddenly frowned for two reasons. One, since when did he have such idealistic thoughts? And two, why was Doctor Marcel allowed to run a mental institution? The Key Master had his doubts that Doctor Marcel rightfully earned his title. A thought crossed his mind and he had to chuckle when he thought of what title Edna would give to him. She would call him an enormous, insufferable bonehead or something similar to this.  
His expression changed once again, this time to one of puzzlement. What was the reason Edna was in a solitary cell in Doctor Marcel's asylum? He knew she was schizophrenic but that was no reason to lock her in a padded cell. There had to be another reason... Was the hatred the doctor felt towards her this great? Even if this was the case, it was no real answer to the question in the Key Master's mind. Just what was the connection between Doctor Marcel and Edna? While stuck in his own cell, he would occasionally hear the guards talking to one another, which was how he knew about the vendetta but not the reason. Even Edna did not seem to know it. Did she ever find this out? It was kind of amazing how a single girl could occupy his thoughts again and again. There was something fascinating about her, like a secret he had to find out.

* * *

The hours passed with no special occurrences taking place. It was an ordinary, lovely day. The golden afternoon sun hung high in the azure sky, with only a handful of fluffy, white clouds like cotton candy accompanying the celestial body. People spent this beautiful afternoon swimming in the pool or keeping themselves in the shade of trees and eating ice cream. Only Edna did neither of those. Right after school, she bought some detergents and two cloths. Once she was home, she packed some fruit in a box and packed some of Mattis's clothes in her rucksack. Although she doubted they would fit the Key Master but seeing how skinny he had become, it was worth a try. Grabbing a water bottle and her phone, which she put in her pants pocket, she left her apartment with a heavy rucksack.  
This time, the way to the hideout in the forest was shorter than the day before, though it was exactly the same. However, Edna still remembered the path and thus found it sooner. She also walked, despite her heavy luggage, faster. In fact, she was almost running. After all, once she reached the Key Master's hideout, she would be reunited with Harvey. Oh, how she hoped he would not be mad at her. Even she did not know what was wrong with her the day before. Perhaps she was simply too focused on helping the Key Master. Speaking of him, Edna just spotted him sitting under a tree not too far away from the cottage. She approached him and he turned his head towards her, obviously having heard her steps.  
"Hey", she greeted him with a smile.  
"Hey to you, too", he responded, patting the spot next to him. Edna took it as an invitation to sit down, so she took off her rucksack and sat next to him. Nothing was said for the next several minutes, only the singing birds and a gentle breeze blowing through the trees was heard. This kind of tranquility used to annoy Edna when she was a child but now that she was older and more mature, she found she did not really mind. Of course, she would always prefer noise but a quiet time now and then was nice.  
"You forgot Harvey yesterday", the Key Master spoke up. Edna nodded and replied:  
"I know. I hope he's not mad at me..."  
Frowning, she gazed towards the cottage, where she assumed her blue friend was.  
"I don't think he's mad and even if he is, I'm sure he'll forgive you."  
Edna hummed in response, still looking at the house. She just wanted to run and get Harvey but was afraid of his reaction. It was the first time she left him behind and was therefore separated from him. Last time this happened was years ago when she fled the authorities; she lost her grip on him after she fell into the river. This had been unintentional unlike this time. But, a little voice in her head said, you did not forget him on purpose.  
"Go and get him, I left him on the bed", the Key Master said. When Edna still hesitated, he added: "He will forgive you, otherwise he would be a bad friend."  
The corners of Edna's mouth turned upwards.  
"You're right. Thanks", she replied and stood up. She dusted herself off. "I go get him. Oh, and I got some things for you in my rucksack. You can take a look."  
She headed towards the cottage after saying these words.

* * *

This was the only quiet room in the whole asylum, no matter at which daytime. No one had a key to this room, not even the master key worked on the lock. Doctor Marcel possessed the single key that could open this door. He had to change the lock and get a new key after this kleptomaniac loony with the rag doll rabbit stole the old one. After her breakout, every room had been searched for any damage she had done. Doctor Marcel was furious when he discovered his special key was missing. Fortunately, nothing was damaged when he checked this room – for which he was relieved. His cushion was the only object that showed any signs of Edna having been in the room. At least she showed some respect to precious memorabilia, which she obviously did not show for other objects. Doctor Marcel had to replace the desk in his office, for instance, because of all the damage Edna did to it. But he was not here to think about her. No, he was in this room that was illuminated by a red glow from the sun shining through the red curtains for another reason. Toys from a time before electronic devices took over society were carefully arranged in this room. The center and focus was an altar. Above it was an enormous picture of a boy, no older than eight. Below this picture was an urn with flower bouquets lying left and right of it. The only other object on this altar was a jar full of teeth, most but not all of them being deciduous teeth. Everyday, Doctor Marcel came to this room to remember his model boy. In these hours of solitude and quiet, he kept thinking of what Alfred would be doing now if he were still alive and remembered what a good boy he had been. During his time alone here, he could hear the happenings in this institution but blocked them out. Whenever he was in here, he would think of Alfred and only of Alfred. It did not matter what the patients did or if they escaped – they were always caught. The only exception for this rule happened a few years ago but none had escaped the asylum since then. Besides, who would have thought Edna's determination was this big? Or that her rabbit had such a great influence on her and her memories?  
Doctor Marcel looked at the enormous picture of his deceased son, holding back a sob. No matter how many years passed, he would always miss him. He turned his head to the left to view three more, albeit smaller photos on the wall. Each of them showed Alfred during different stages of his life. The oldest photo showed him as a baby; on the other two, he was older. One picture was him dancing ballet when he was five and the other was of him building a snowman with a tie. Alfred was probably seven years old when this picture was made. Doctor Marcel had taken each photo personally. He was so proud of Alfred and knew he would have a respectable job if he had lived to grow up.

* * *

Only a single door separated Edna from Harvey. An insufferable tool of exclusion as she liked to call them. Although doors had their uses, she was nevertheless not very fond of them – especially when they were locked. She always preferred to come and go as she wished, or at least have a key. If this were a door in Doctor Marcel's mental institution, she would now wish for ketchup, mustard and a ballpoint pen to decorate the door. However, as this was not the case, and she was unfortunately lacking these items, she simply opened the door and entered the house.  
"Harvey!", she exclaimed as she spotted him on the bed. He gave no response when she sped up to him. One could say he was sulking. "I'm sorry I forgot about you."  
The lagomorph rag doll still gave no response. He was not even looking at Edna. She sighed, still gazing at him with apologetic eyes while also surreptitiously scanning his body of any signs of injury. From what she could see, he looked like he always did, with only a scar over his left eye as his single injury and she knew for a fact it was not the Key Master's fault.  
"You left me alone with this madman", Harvey pouted. "I could have been killed."  
"But you weren't. Besides, you're made of terry cloth, you can be fixed", Edna pointed out.  
"And what if I was slashed in a million pieces of blue fabric and cotton balls? Would it be easy to sew me back together?"  
"Maybe not but I would still try."  
Finally, Harvey was looking at her with big eyes.  
"You're my best friend, Harv. I may have forgotten you here yesterday but I did not abandon you. I could never do that."  
His eyes were still large, otherwise he showed no emotions. He did not move a muscle and he made no sound. Edna reciprocated his expression with a sincere look, though she felt herself crumble on the inside, slowly but surely. She tried not to show it but to stay strong. Harvey should know she meant every word; this was something she would and could never lie about. Suddenly, the size of his eyes decreased back to normal and a grin formed on his face.  
"Edna, you're just the best", he complimented her. "Besides, I can't stay mad at you."  
She took Harvey in her arms and hugged him, promising to not forget him again. Holding her friend made of terry cloth close she left the house and returned to the Key Master. Her rucksack was still next to him, exactly on the same spot she left it, looking untouched.  
"Judging from the way you're holding Harvey, I assume it went well", he stated in a matter-of-factly voice.  
"It did", Edna confirmed joyfully. She sat back down on the same space as before. "Didn't you check the stuff I brought for you?"  
"Nah", he shook his head, "I think I'll do this tomorrow. Today is just a lazy day."  
He leaned against the tree, crossing his arms behind his head. Edna had never seen the Key Master so relaxed before; it was a huge disparity to the way he usually was. Normally, he was calm yet like a vault Edna had no combination for. Ever since she met him again in her old home, he had been behaving very out of character. Edna was unsure about all this, even frightened it could all be a trick that would cost her life but still decided to give him a chance. There was still hope he was sincere.  
"Say, what did you do all day long?", the dark haired female asked curiously.  
"Nothing much. At first, I was bored and didn't know what to do with myself but then I've decided to walk around in the woods. You know, to acquaint myself with the surrounding area", the Key Master responded as if he was talking about the weather.  
"Did something happen that made you so relaxed in such a way that is unlike you?", Edna questioned, arching an eyebrow.  
"Oh? And how, pray tell, am I usually?"  
"Like a kind of person you'd find hard to describe."  
Another word crossed Edna's mind, one she did not know where it came from and yet could not argue about it. Still, she did not dare to say out loud. There was something weird about telling a person like the Key Master that she found him fascinating. Still, even without being described with this word, he gave her a smirk full of satisfaction.  
"I'll take that as a compliment", he commented. For some reason, Edna had to grin at his response. She could never imagine him saying something like this but hearing these words coming out of his mouth was somewhat amusing. It was confusing for her; sometimes, she was unsure and a little uneasy around the Key Master but at other times, she felt comfortable around him. He was the first person who could identify with her situation of having been stuck in solitary confinement for a big part of her life. She knew he was in the same situation, though she did not know if he was alone in a cell for as long as she was or even longer or perhaps for a shorter amount of time. There was a lot she wanted to know about him.  
"Hey, Princess?", the Key Master spoke up. "Why don't you tell me about your day?"  
"Why not?", Edna responded, though a little surprised at his request. She shifted a little to get in a more comfortable sitting position. Holding Harvey in her lap and leaning against the tree, she spoke: "Well, school was stressful, as always, but we're almost done for the year. However, there was nothing of particular interest; we only did some exercises on our current topics or did some revisions, like linear functions in Math or the Cold War in History. I learned a classmate's planning to charge files against me. We're going to write a test about _Faust_ this Friday – I might not come to visit you on Thursday then. Gotta study."  
"Hang on a second, what was that one?", the Key Master asked in confusion.  
"I probably won't come to visit you on Thursday?"  
"No, before that. Something about charging files against you... What happened that a classmate would do something like this to you?"  
Edna hesitated, biting her bottom lip. She was not sure if she should tell him. Would he laugh at her and tell her she was being ridiculous because of the way she behaved? Or would he perhaps understand her and morally support her? Edna glanced at Harvey for advice.  
"Just tell him. One way or another, he's going to think you're completely bonkers."  
"Alright...", she replied almost inaudibly. Slowly, she turned to the Key Master; however she did not really look at him as she responded to his question: "I... pushed her in a pond..."  
"You did what!?", he exclaimed. She could hear in his voice he was taken aback, perhaps even shocked. Nonetheless, she did not say anything in response but just turned her head away a little.  
"Tell me, what exactly happened that you pushed a girl in a pond?", he inquired. Even though Edna was not gazing at him, she could imagine his arched eyebrows and wide eyes.  
"She took Harvey away from me and made fun of me... I got mad and pushed her", she explained, still looking everywhere but at the Key Master. She knew what she did was wrong and foolish; she did not need him to reprimand her. Nevertheless, this did not stop him from doing so:  
"How could you act so thoughtless? Have you not considered the pond could be deep and that she could perhaps not swim? Her wet clothes could have dragged her underwater. Aquatic birds could have attacked her. No matter what, there was a possibility she could have been severely hurt or even be killed. Edna, you are not a killer."  
The last word had not entirely left the Key Master's mouth when Edna unexpectedly jumped up. Something about his final sentence made her furious, so much she stormed off with only Harvey in her arms. What did the Key Master know? She was a killer, several lives had ended prematurely and two almost did all because of her. He should know; he was one of the latter. So, how could he say she was not a killer? Also, how did he dare to reprimand her? Had he not murdered several people too? What a hypocrite, Edna thought furiously. She did not know what was worse – that he reproached her or that he once blamed her for one of his murders. It did not really matter, both made her equally mad.

* * *

"What just happened?", a perplexed Key Master wondered aloud. Whatever kind of reaction he had expected, this was not one. Edna was never the kind of person who would just run away if she was being reproached. Even when he blamed her for his murder of the reverend, she did not run away. Then again, the only way out was to jump off the bell tower. Still, he never saw her as the kind of person who would be offended and abruptly leave when being criticized. Or was it an entirely different reason? If so, he would like to know next time he saw her. That was, if she would come back; she did look really furious when she stormed off...  
"Sometimes, I just don't understand you, Edna", the Key Master whispered while gazing at the last spot he saw her before she disappeared. He knew she could not hear him, he spoke too low and she was also probably too far away by now. With a sigh, he took the rucksack she left behind, stood up and returned to the cottage. He might as well see what Edna brought him, seeing he had nothing else to do. The first two things he took out when he opened the rucksack were a bottle of water and a lunchbox. He opened the latter to find some fruit. At least, she would not let him starve. Further rummaging the contents of the bag, he found some clothes, which he assumed were from the pile of men's clothes from which Edna found the large gray shirt – he still wondered where she got these clothes from – and he also found cleaning supplies. Well, it seemed he found something he could occupy his time until Edna visited him the following day. Of course, he could do it now but, admittedly, he was not in the mood. For some reason, he was not feeling very productive at all today. He guessed it was because there was nothing he could do all day long and now, when he finally got something to do, he was too lazy. Besides, tomorrow was another day and why should one do something today if one might as well do it tomorrow? There were worse things than procrastination. Yes, he would clean this house the next day and try the clothes Edna brought him on. After all, he had to see if they fit him; it would be nice to have a change of clothes. However, there was one single question that entered his mind: what about the garments if they needed to be washed? Should he perhaps give them to Edna and let her wash them at her home? Or was he supposed to clean them exactly like women did before the invention of washing machines? The Key Master did not particularly care which option was available as long as he could be completely sure. Well, another thing he could add on his list of questions he wanted to ask Edna... He should really start to put them down in writing. One day, the two of then might be sitting down and playing a game of twenty questions, for he was confident she had a couple of questions about him as well. Perhaps she would ask him about his name again but, try as he might he just could not remember it, as if he had lost the memory... There were a lot of things he was unable to recall. Every time he tried, he only remembered being escorted to Doctor Marcel or being visited by him but then, it was like somebody put a great blanket over his memories. The Key Master had not been able to regain all of his memories and was not even sure if he ever would. But maybe he should be glad he recovered at least some...

* * *

By the time Edna was back in town, she was still fuming about what the Key Master said. For a brief moment, she thought he would understand her but she was wrong. He did not understand her at all... and he was a hypocrite. The question whether he crashed against a tree or a hundred during his walk through the forest crossed her mind more than once. Perhaps his time alone on the run had affected his mind worse than anything that happened to him in the mental institution. She was so mad at the Key Master she did not pay attention to where she was going and thus crashed against a person, landing on her behind.  
"Whoa! Careful!", a voice exclaimed in surprise. Edna gazed upwards from her spot on the ground to see Sebastian, offering her a hand. She accepted his hand silently and he helped her up.  
"You're not hurt, are you?", he inquired.  
"No, I'm alright", Edna replied, letting go off his hand and snaked her arm around Harvey, who was currently pressed against her chest with her other hand. "I just wasn't watching where I was going, sorry. I-I was lost in my thoughts..."  
"Makes me wonder what occupied your thoughts. Is this the thing with the charge?"  
"Yes, this is what had me lost in my thoughts", Edna lied with no hesitation. She could have told him about her conversation with the Key Master, could have told him about the Key Master currently hiding out in the forest but this was the last thing she had on her mind. Yes, she was mad at him but not enough to actually betray him. No matter how furious she was, she felt she could never betray him. A part of her still believed he understood her.  
"Don't worry about it, Edna", Sebastian tried to cheer her up. Edna, appreciating this, gave him a tiny smile.  
"I was about to go eat ice cream. Want to come along?", he offered.  
"Sure", she nodded. Sebastian offered her his arm like a gentleman; she just looked at him with raised eyebrows and he withdrew his arm. They walked next to each other, Edna was once again thinking of her earlier behavior. Did she make the right choice by running away? She should have talked with the Key Master like a reasonable adult and not run away like an immature teenage girl. Still, she found it difficult sometimes, probably because she never really went through this phase in her life... or did and just could not remember it. Damn Doctor Horatio Marcel! Why could he not keep his promise to Mattis in a way every other normal person would do? Without the whole memory erasing and rewriting her character thing? If anyone needed a therapy, it was him.  
"We're here", Sebastian's words pulled Edna out of her reverie. She noticed a tiny ice cream parlor with a big, too brightly colored sign telling her its name: _Ice Cream Spectrum_. It was so bright, it actually hurt her eyes. If there was one thing this place needed, it was a new sign; one with more subdued colors. Right now, she was in an internal struggle whether she found this sign or Petra's decoration for Peter's birthday party worse. Hopefully, the ice cream they sell tasted delicious.  
"Let's go in, shall we?", Sebastian suggested, to which Edna only silently nodded. However, the moment she entered the ice cream parlor, she wanted to dash away. The interior designer had to be either Petra or a relative of hers. Everything was kept in bright shades of green, orange, red and yellow. The hope of the cold sweetness tasting good and the fear of this not being the case increased with every second. She and Sebastian seemed to be the oldest ones here, apart from the parents of little children and the employees of this establishment.  
Edna followed her classmate to a table in the middle if the room and sat down opposite of him. There were several small menu cards on the table, from which each of them took one. She scanned the menu, quickly deciding on a banana split with a scoop of chocolate, cookie dough, and blancmange ice cream. Sebastian decided on this sundae that looked like a clown. They ordered their respective choices and then, Edna kept her eyes just on Harvey since he was the only one who did not hurt her eyes.  
"Isn't this an awesome place?", Sebastian commented, sounding as giddy as a teenage girl who was about see a concert of her favorite boy band. Edna did not respond; she just stared at him with a dumbfounded face. She started to doubt it was such a good idea to go with him...  
"You're not very talkative, are you?"  
"I just have nothing to say", Edna replied to his question, gently stroking Harvey's ears.  
"What is it with you and this rabbit?"  
"His name is Harvey; he's been with me for as long as I can remember..."  
"And I will always be with you!", the blue rag doll rabbit piped up, making the corners of Edna's mouth move upwards.  
"He does not look like he's been taken care of very well", Sebastian commented. "He looks kinda dirty and like he had lost one of his eyes and got it sewed back on."  
Edna ignored this statement; she could explain why Harvey was the way he was but did not want to. It would take too much time and she had work later. Sebastian would also not understand any of this; he was not there or could not put himself in her position.  
"What are you going to do during summer vacation?", he asked. Edna shrugged her shoulders, she had not really thought about this:  
"I dunno. Guess I just have to wait and see..."  
"I'm going to spend three weeks in France with my family. You could join us; I just have to ask my parents", Sebastian offered.  
"I'll think about it", the dark haired girl replied the same moments their orders arrived. Withdrawing one hand from Harvey, she took her spoon and commenced eating. Tasting the cold chocolate-flavored sweetness in combination with the banana, chocolate sauce and whipped cream on her tongue, she found it tasted much better than the interior of this ice cream parlor would suggest. She took another bite, this time adding the cookie dough, and then, on her third bite, she added the blancmange ice cream. She had feared the ice cream would taste like this place looked – absolutely atrocious – but was pleased the opposite was the case. Her banana split was soon gone from its bowl and down in Edna's stomach. She and Sebastian, who had eaten up his too, paid and left, taking a walk and holding a conversation about their last few weeks of school before summer vacation. Then, it was time for her to get to work...

* * *

A new day dawned not unlike the one before. Adults, who had to work at six in the morning, were already up and about as were children and adolescents with a long way to their respective schools. Those with a shorter path or who were lucky enough to have their parents drive them were still enjoying their last thirty to sixty minutes of sleep. One person who was still in the land of dreams, though for much longer than an hour, was the Key Master. It was the first time he slept until for more than just a couple of hours. While on his search for Edna as well as concealing himself from the authorities, he only had brief periods of sleep. But the need of a good long shut-eye was just too great. The Key Master always had to be on guard, he could not afford any mistakes. His desire to be in his former cell diminished with every passing day, if there even was still one to begin with. The stillness and tranquility of the forest also helped him sleeping peacefully like he had no worries in the world.  
It was around midday when the Key Master finally woke up. He yawned as he sat up, still looking dazed with sleep. Not wasting any time, he got up and went to the bathroom for a cold bath. At first, the icy water he got from the well felt unpleasant to him, though it did wake him up properly. As his skin got used to the freezing temperature, it was not so bad, it actually felt congenial. Still, it would be nice if this house had heating and electricity. Did the person who built this place want to live like the earliest humans? Or did they abandon their project after finishing the main room and the bathroom? The Key Master thought of adding more rooms, heating and of building a contraption that would enable him to use electricity. But he soon dismissed it as absurd and silly. Still, he had to think of something if he did not want to freeze to death in winter. Fortunately, it would still be a long time until it became colder. So, now that he was finished with his bath and dressed, he should use his time to clean the house. He mentally thanked Edna for bringing him supplies the day before.  
The task of cleaning the house took up several hours, with a short break thrown in to eat two sandwiches and a banana, until there was no speck of dust, no dirt and no cobwebs left. Satisfied with his accomplishment, the Key Master put the half-empty bottles of polish in the cupboard and washed the dirty cloths. Next thing he planned was to try on the clothes Edna brought him after a short break. Needing fresh air, he left the cottage and took a walk along the river, just hearing it flow. Sometimes, he could not fathom that he wanted to lock himself and Edna up in a church and never go out again. Back then, he did it to prevent himself from killing another innocent person again but in retrospect, there were several flaws in his plan. For one, the police and Doctor Marcel's minions would have searched the church sooner and later and recaptured them. Or was this what he wanted? He did not know... And two, who says he would not have killed Edna or done anything else to her? The Key Master felt a sudden rush of gratitude and appreciation towards her for her willingness to help him despite everything that could have happened.  
"Key Master?"  
He stopped walking, not sure whether he imagined a voice calling for him or not. He listened intently, blocking out the sounds of the forest and river, and sure enough, he heard it again:  
"Key Master? Are you there?"  
This sounded like Edna, he thought while jogged towards the house. He could have sworn she visited him at a later time the day before but maybe it was just that he had no clue at what time she arrived the day before and what time it was now. Sure enough, he found her standing in front of the house, carrying an ice box with Harvey on top of it, and looking around in confusion. Her expression changed into one of delight the instant she spotted the Key Master approaching her. It was like the little episode of the day before never happened.  
"Hello, Princess", he greeted her, stopping right in front of her.  
"Hello to you too", she retorted. "I bought this ice box for you, y'know, to keep your groceries cool."  
Edna slightly raised the box in her hands, to which the Key Master gave a nod in acknowledgement. He opened the door to the house, indicating to her to step in. She walked past him into the house, where she put the box down on the table. He followed her but moved to the foot of his bed where he kept her rucksack, which he took and gave to Edna.  
"I think you still need this", he stated.  
"Oh, thanks", Edna said, taking her rucksack back. Holding it loosely in her hand, she examined the shiningly clean furniture for a few minutes until she spoke up: "I'm sorry for yesterday."  
The Key Master was puzzled; he thought it was his fault she stormed away, which he was quick to mention.  
"Well, it was something you said but you don't even know what. Or do you?", Edna explained, looking at him questioningly at the last three words. He had to admit it; he did not know what made her leave. It could be anything, even a tiny comment – he was aware that women could be irrational and could overreact, however he was careful not to mention it to her.  
"No, I do not", he replied.  
"It was the part when you reprimanded me for what I did to my classmate", Edna admitted while taking Harvey by his ears in her hand. "Especially the last part but the thing is... I'm not ready to talk about this yet."  
"Alright then...", the Key Master responded. He felt a certain curiosity to what she did not want to say yet but also respected her reluctance. There were things he was not ready to talk about yet too. He knew people needed time until they were ready to talk about something, it made no sense to force them into telling them.  
"How about we take a walk?", the Key Master suggested.  
Edna raised both her eyebrows at him with her face showing a little surprise as well as interest and nodded. After receiving her answer, he offered her an arm, which she accepted.

* * *

They strolled along the river in silence. Edna wondered if there was a reason the Key Master wanted to take a walk with her or if there was no reason at all. Harvey kept warning her that this was just an excuse and that he wanted to kill her and throw her in the river. She blocked her rabbit's warnings out; for some reason, she did not think this was the case. The Key Master had so many chances to do her in before, so she saw no reason why he would do it now.  
"I have a feeling you're here earlier than you were yesterday", he unexpectedly spoke up, making Edna, who was lost in thoughts, jump. He either did not notice or chose to ignore it.  
"Well, I am. Normally, I would have a double lesson of History but our teacher has to bring her daughter to her doctor's appointment", Edna explained. After school had ended, she had gone to the store to buy the ice box and afterwards had gone home to drop her school stuff, eat something and to get Harvey before rushing here. He had tried to convince her to not visit him anymore and that she made a wise decision to just leave the day before but it fell on deaf ears. After all, she had promised she would help the Key Master and also, he had a right to know why she left so abruptly. She was glad he did not insist to know the whole reason, as she was not ready to talk to somebody about this yet. She thought she was but when she spotted the Key Master, she found she was not. Not even Tina knew several people passed away because of her.  
"Is there something you want to talk about?", Edna asked, mainly because she did not want to think about the deceased.  
"No, I don't. What makes you think that? But now that you mention it", the Key Master started, sounding quite odd, "I would need your help with getting the materials and building some things."  
"I can try to help, you only have to tell me how", Edna replied, who was confused about the way his voice sounded. "And when you need the respective materials. By the way, what exactly are you planning to construct?"  
"Traps or something similar to keep unwanted guests away, just in case", the Key Master started. Edna acknowledged it with a nod. She would have planned the same if she were in his position. "But also something that would enable me to have heating and electricity. I think there's something I could construct that would make it possible for me to use the latter but I have my doubts about the former."  
Edna got a feeling he was not being serious. Actually, she was pretty sure he was pulling her leg. Well, two could play the game.  
"I can see what I can do about the traps, though I think a force field would be much more effective. You would have to deactivate it whenever I come over, otherwise I would not be able to help you out", Edna replied, sounding like she was a businesswoman. "But I don't know anything about the other things. However I would suggest a giant hamster wheel for electricity. As for the heating, I would say to lay a giant fire in the middle of the room. Or, alternatively, we could look for solutions on the Internet."  
"Can you really find information about all this on the Internet?", the Key Master asked somewhat astonished and incredulous. His eyes seemed to have increased in size. He probably did not have access to the Internet at all since he escaped from Doctor Marcel's institution, Edna thought to herself. She silently wondered to herself when he was brought into the asylum and if he ever surfed the Internet before this.  
"You can find answers and information to just about everything on the Internet nowadays", she replied with a shrug. "But I don't quite know about this."  
"You do know I was just joking, right?"  
"Thought so, but who says I can't play along?", Edna smirked at the Key Master. "Still, you have a point in regards to the heating. Maybe we'll think of something in time."  
He nodded without saying a word. Edna reckoned the conversation was over. She could not think of anything to say about this all, so she remained silent. She watched a flock of birds flying high above in the sky. It would be nice to have wings and to fly freely, just like these ornithologic creatures.  
"Say, when were you brought into the asylum?", Edna suddenly asked, moving her ocular organs away from the birds and to the Key Master. He stared at her with a similar expression to what she had earlier when he suggested taking a walk.  
"It was in the early Two Thousand's. I think we still had Mark as currency and not Euro", unlike the last time she asked him about his life, he gave his answer almost immediately. "It was certainly some time after you became a patient there."  
"Really?", a bamboozled Edna responded. "How do you know that?"  
"I can vaguely remember Doctor Marcel throwing a temper tantrum because of you. He was shouting something about an Edna trying to escape again."  
The thought of driving the doctor crazy made Edna chuckle. It felt satisfying to know she made his life a living hell, even during her earliest days in his institution. He deserved it for everything he had done to her.  
"You look quite pleased with yourself. I'd almost feel sorry for Doctor Marcel if my emotions towards him were less negative", the Key Master commented amusingly. Edna smirked at him, earning a chuckle in return.  
Nothing more was said after the Key Master's comment. As always when these two spent their time together, there was at least one period of silence that Edna did not mind. There was no rule that said that they had to talk to each other nonstop; the quietness was actually quite useful to reflect on the conversation. Maybe she should try to convince Tina to drive to her old hometown with her; she reckoned she had some stuff in her old hideout that the Key Master could find useful.  
"I should be going now", Edna said some time later, after she and the Key Master returned to the cottage. "Anything specific I could bring you tomorrow?"  
"Perhaps a toothbrush cup, a toothbrush and toothpaste. I have those but I left them in my old hideout", he replied while Edna took her rucksack.  
"Alrighty", with an empty rucksack on her back and Harvey in her arms, she walked towards the door. Before leaving, she turned around to say "see you tomorrow" and then left for the day.

When Edna arrived back home after her working shift, she found Tina sitting on the couch in the living room and being absorbed by a video game. Edna quietly approached her to see what she was playing and saw her housemate controlling a blond, young man in a dark field, where lightning struck at random intervals. Whenever this happened, the character dodged by jumping backwards, however one time, he was not so lucky and fell on his back.  
"Aw fucking shit!", Tina cursed. "And I was so fucking close to get the fucking Sigil!"  
Edna decided not to say anything and just went to her room, where she put her rucksack in a corner and Harvey on her bed. She was glad she had no homework for the next day, as she was exhausted and hungry. This could be both remedied, which she was quick to do. For her hunger, she spread butter or other spreading they had on a few slices of bread and ate them. After her quick supper, she went to bed and fell asleep, being waked by Tina some time in the middle of the night because she was screaming and cursing in frustration.  
A new day dawned a little too soon for Edna's liking. Upon feeling the rays of the sunshine on her face, she turned away from it, wanting nothing more than to keep sleeping. Unfortunately, this was not supposed to be because Tina knocked loudly at her door.  
"Time to wake up, Edna!", she called. "Unless you either want to go to school without any breakfast or late to school."  
Groaning, Edna reluctantly got up and left her room. The table in the living room was already set with bread, sausage, honey, Nutella and butter as well as cereals and milk and a bowl and apple juice. Edna decided on cereals, thus she grabbed the package and filled a bowl with this and with milk. Additionally, she filled a glass with apple juice. Tina, in turn, ate two slices of bread with butter and sausage, and one with Nutella. She looked like she was up all night with her video game, which Edna would not be surprised if this were true. Anyhow, Edna simply ate her breakfast and made no comment – she was too tired to say anything anyway. When she was done, she went to the bathroom to wash herself and brush her teeth, and then she got dressed. After she was done with all that, Edna was about to head to school until she remembered she had yet to get her school bag and repack it. Not wasting any time, she did all this and then rushed to the educational establishment.

* * *

Unlike Edna, the Key Master could sleep as long as he liked. He was already awake nonetheless; he could not sleep anymore. But he did not get up, he was lost in thoughts. Since he had no reason to go around in shadows in search for Edna, he had plenty of time to think and to try to remember his past. Something must have happened to him that he lost his memories, the only things he could recall were whatever he heard the guards in the mental institution talk about. Really, they were just as bad as a bunch of gossiping women. But whenever the Key Master tried to remember anything from his own life, like his adolescent years or why he ended up in an asylum in the first place, it was like a black veil covered these memories up. Well, he knew he was in the asylum because he was a murderer but he did not remember the circumstance that led him to committing the deed. There were some things he could still recall, like his childhood, but nothing that told him his name or any other important things. It was so frustrating, if only there was a way for him to regain his memories. He had been able to push the veil away a few times; he remembered what kind of person he was during puberty but could give hardly anything specific. There were often times when he wondered if Edna had to go through the same dilemma and if she actually found a way to overcome it. After all, they were both the only ones in solitary confinement and he saw no reason why Doctor Marcel would erase every patient's memories. Perhaps this was some kind of therapy... a sick, twisted kind of therapy. If this was, the Key Master doubted this would accomplish anything. Then again, Doctor Marcel was not the most sensible guy out there, which even a loony could attest. His therapy methods were just too questionable. What could was memory erasure accomplish to anyone unless his patient was a war veteran with traumatic experiences? No one who was no soldier should have their memories erased but keep them. It was just wrong. The Key Master gave a frustrated sigh as he tried to recall something, anything from his early adulthood only to see a black veil before his inner eye. He hated Doctor Marcel just for everything he had done to him. If anyone deserved to be locked up, it was him. That way, Doctor Marcel would be unable to damage anyone else in any way. The Key Master remembered Edna mentioning everybody deserved freedom but there were just some who need to be locked up...

* * *

Another exhausting, boring school day had passed. If Edna had not thought up her survival mantra of "not long until vacation, not long until vacation", she would have gone crazy... or crazier than she already was. She had no idea what she was going to do yet but she knew it was going to be more fun and more exciting than school.  
"Oh Edna!", an annoying singsong voice called. Edna groaned, not turning around or stopping. She knew who this was and was not in the mood for a conversation with this person. However, this person had other plans and quickly caught up to her.  
"Hi Edna", Heike greeted her with a smug smirk on her face.  
"What is it, Heike? And what's with your sardonic face?", Edna asked in exasperation. Heike was another reason why Edna was looking forward to summer vacation. Even Alfred was not as annoying as her. In fact, he was a decent guy, who one could easily get along with, when compared to Heike.  
"I don't know what you're talking about", the younger girl said. "What do you think of our Art homework for next week? Are you sure you're up to it? After all, anything related to fashion sure is not something you know something about."  
"You do know we have a choice between either jewelry or a CD cover ", Edna commented. "For all you know I might as well choose CD cover."  
The moment she heard the choices she knew what she wanted to pick. Designing jewelry was never something she could imagine herself doing, but a cover for a CD was. But all in all, she kind of liked the idea their Art teacher had. Everyone would have their own, individual ideas and there was a chance unique jewelries or CD covers would be drawn. There was no limit to their imaginations, except their own.  
"Seeing what you wear, jewelry can only end badly for you", Heike mocked, then giving a high-pitched laugh. It sounded like somebody inhaled helium and tried and failed to like Statler and Waldorf – only that these two old Muppets were funny and not annoying. "Well, I better go now before your weirdness jumps over to me."  
Still laughing, Heike walked faster and left a furious Edna behind. What right did this annoying cow have to insult Edna like this? She had never done anything to her – at least until she pushed her into a pond – but Heike made insulting comments ever since they first met. Well, there was no point in dwelling on that. Groaning, Edna continued on her way home, stopping at the store to buy oral care products for the Key Master.  
When she arrived home, she was the only human in her and Tina's apartment. Harvey was where she left him, on her bed.  
"Hi, Harvey", Edna greeted her oldest friend.  
"Welcome home, Edna", Harvey responded. "Did you learn anything useful, like how to set fire to the moon?"  
"Not quite but we learned that Rio de Janeiro used to be Brazil's capital until the early Sixties. I forgot why it isn't anymore", Edna responded, taking Harvey into her arms. She did not take her school bag from her back but instead left the apartment right away. It was such a beautiful day that she decided to do her homework outdoors and seeing that they had no balcony, she was going to do them at the Key Master's place. Maybe he could help her.

One trek through town and forest later, Edna arrived at the hideout, where she saw the Key Master on the hill. He did not seem to have noticed her, so she quietly ascended the hill. She wanted to scare him. An opportunity like this one would not come every day, so she just had to do this. Edna was as quiet as a mouse, unlike the episode in the church after the Key Master killed an innocent person. It was kind of weird to think how scared she was of him back then when she was currently about to give him a little scare. She did not know where took the bravery to do something like this from, maybe she just wanted to do something reckless.  
"The hills are alive with the sound of music", Edna began singing when she was just a few meters away from the Key Master. His only reaction as to turn around, though he seemed to have moved a little faster but maybe this was just her imagination.  
"Hello, Princess", he said while she ascended the rest of the hill to him. She did not understand why he kept calling her that; there was nothing regal about her. Or he saw her as some kind of princess locked in a tower, except that she was no damsel in distress.  
"What are you doing up here?", Edna asked, to which the Key Master just shrugged and replied:  
"Only enjoying the view."  
"Anyway, I brought the things you asked for", Edna announced, holding the plastic bag up with a grin.  
"Ah thank you", the Key Master replied, taking the bag. "Did you come here right after school? The bag on your back looks like a school bag."  
"I thought I could do my homework out here and perhaps study a little for my test on Friday."  
"Then follow me."  
He descended the hill with her in tow and led her to the side of the house, right where the house threw a shadow. He indicated to her to sit down before doing so himself. Edna took off her bag from her back while she was sitting down. Once she sat on her butt with Harvey next to her, she opened her bag and got her homework planner out, skimming over the page for this week. Only English and Mathematics homework for the next day. She decided to do the subject she was bad at first. Therefore, she took her book and opened the respective page, and after doing so, she took out her folder, which she opened too. Something that sounded like a whine escaped her while reading the task. Two intersections were given and she had to find the linear equation for them. Why did Math have to be so difficult? The Key Master looked over her shoulder to her book without making a comment. Edna sighed and started solving this task that should be referred to as 'torture'.

* * *

Somewhere else, Lilli did not have to trouble herself with homework. She was outside in the beautiful garden of her adoptive parents' house, watering flowers with a merry little tune on her lips. It was lovely to sing or whistle while working without a strict Mother Superior reprimanding her to stop doing that. She had never realized this before but the convent school was a living hell, which was kind of ironic. The only person who was nice to her was Edna. Lilli often wondered to herself how she was doing and where she was. She would like to see her again someday.  
The girl finished watering her flowers, returning the watering can to the side of the house, where it always stood when not in use. Beneath a cherry tree was a table with three chairs and on said table were some materials for embroidery. She used to have Embroidery Class at the convent school, though she was only permitted to stitch crosses by Mother Superior due to her lack of talent. But Lilli had decided to keep embroidering and even dared to stitch other things. She had improved her talent over the years but not by particularly much. Sometimes, it was difficult to recognize what she was embroidering. For example, she was embroidering a horse at the moment but it looked more like a rabbit dressed up as a donkey. There was plenty of room to improve and Lilli was ready to.  
"Here, some refreshments for you", her adoptive mother joined Lilli outside with a glass of lemonade.  
"Thanks", the blond girl replied, putting her embroidery stuff down and taking the glass. She took one big gulp, leaving the glass half-full. That was refreshing! Feeling energized, most likely because of the sugar in the lemonade, Lilli continued embroidering with her mother keeping her company. Only the birds and the cars passing the house were making any kinds of sounds. A gentle breeze blew through the tree and both females' hair; Lilli tugged a strand of hair that fell in her face behind her ear. Once in a while, she drank from her lemonade until it was empty. Neither she nor her mother noticed how much time passed; it was only when her father came outside when they realized what time it is.  
"Lilli, Susan, it's time for dinner", Stefan told them. His wife stared at him skeptically before looking at her watch. Not a second later, a whispered "oh dear" escaped her lips. Knowing full well what it meant, Lilli stopped embroidering.  
"Don't worry, I made dinner. Just come inside, you two", Stefan calmed his wife, who was starting to look panic-stricken, down. Susan smiled gratefully at her husband and walked to inside the house with him, taking the empty glass with her. Lilli followed them, carrying her embroidery stuff.

* * *

The Key Master silently watched Edna struggling with her Math homework. He would like to help but linear functions were not exactly his field of expertise. He observed how Edna kept scribbling in her folder, occasionally groaning in frustration until, after what seemed like an eternity, she shut both folder and book and threw her pen on the ground. She stretched her arms out towards the skies and exclaimed loudly "done at last" to the heavens.  
"And I don't care whether it's correct or not", Edna added while putting her Math book and folder in her bag. The Key Master chuckled to himself at her comment. He watched her taking out just a folder this time and opening it. Looking over her shoulder, he noticed it was English and from what he could see, she had to fill in the gaps of a text. Compared to her reactions while doing her Math homework, she seemed to be far more relaxed than before and was done fairly quickly.  
"Do you need help with your studies? I happen to know a bit about _Faust_ ", he offered after he saw Edna taking out her German folder and _Faust_ book. It was one of the few things he could remember from his past. Who would have thought this could be useful? Or that he could use his knowledge to help somebody? Edna stared skeptically at him, as if she doubted his words. Well, he could not blame her; he did not come across like an expert for literature.  
"You don't believe me", he stated calmly.  
"It's kinda hard to", Edna responded. She briefly averted her eyes to open both book and folder on their respective correct pages. Looking back at the Key Master, she added: "Then explain to me why Faust is so dissatisfied despite being educated in various ranges of subjects?"  
"The reason for his dissatisfaction is that even with all that knowledge, he knows not what holds the Earth together in its innermost core. Basically, he feels he knows nothing at all but wants to know everything. He's also unable to enjoy life at its fullest. He may be a very knowledgeable man but he does not know anything about social interactions. Educated in brains but not in heart. This is why he called forth the earth spirit and agreed on the bet with Mephistopheles."  
He explained this all in a calm voice, so that Edna could register every single word. Perhaps it was his imagination but she looked kind of hypnotized.  
"Can you tell me more?", she asked, only adding the word "tomorrow" after a quick look at her watch. She slammed her book and folder shut and rapidly packed them into her rucksack. "Sorry, but I have to get ready for work. Any wishes for what I could bring you tomorrow?"  
"Yes, Princess, I could need a new pillow and blanket as well as something to keep me busy during the day. Perhaps a book or new furniture I could assemble. The ones in this house aren't exactly in a good condition."  
Edna nodded in acknowledgement while hoisting her rucksack on her back. She bent down and took Harvey in her arms.  
"I will see what I can do about the furniture. See you tomorrow", she said and left. Alone once again, the Key Master leaned against the exterior wall of the house. Even though he would deny ever thinking or feeling this, he wished Edna could stay longer. At least he would have some company and he would actually feel like he was not wasting any time doing nothing, except hiding from the police. He doubted he could ever go amongst people without risking to be caught by the authorities. There was no way they would let a murderer walk around freely, especially not when he was a convicted murderer. It did not help that he killed several more people after his escape from the mental institution. His fingers were starting to twitch; the urge to kill somebody slowly took over him. But no, he had to hold back. The fear in his victims' eyes filled him with some kind of twisted pleasure that quickly disappeared when he stared at the corpses. Yes, he found joy in killing but the sick feeling he usually felt afterwards was more intense. Once, he did not care whether his victims had loved ones or not until one day... It was shortly after he killed a man, he fled but was still nearby when a child, about five years old, appeared and cried over her father's corpse. This was when he thought about what friends and family of his victims would feel upon their death for the first time. Even before that, the Key Master was not fond of his murderous tendencies and therefore had tried to stop himself from murdering by locking himself inside a church, though it did not help much. It was puzzling to him; he never understood why he killed when he disliked it, except for the brief moment of satisfaction? Perhaps it was like doing drugs or like drinking a humongous amount of alcohol; once one would start, they would feel good for a short time while actually damaging their bodies and it would not be easy to stop doing so without help. The Key Master had not killed anyone for a long time but it was still difficult to hold back. Like an addict, he needed help but from someone who actually wanted to help him. Maybe this was why he liked Edna's company; with her around, he never thought about or had the urge to murder.

* * *

After depositing Harvey and her school bag at home and getting her ID, lunchbox and work clothes, Edna rushed to the Mare de Sol. At the moment, she was busily waiting tables while also going through her head about what the Key Master wished. Getting him a pillow and blanket would be easy, she and Tina had more that enough at home and she supposed she could provide for a book or something else that could occupy the Key Master's time. The problem she saw was in getting furniture. Where could she get one complete, albeit Spartan, interior that would only cost little? She was not exactly rich. Perhaps she could afford just one piece of furniture if she decided she did not need anything for the rest of the month.  
"Penny for your thoughts", a voice next to Edna suddenly spoke up. She turned her head to her right to see Anika looking curiously at her.  
"Come on, something's bothering you. Tell me, maybe I can help", Anika added. Edna thought about it for a moment. She obviously could not tell her about the Key Master. But what if she just told her about what he needed? There was no need to mention his identity. Thus, Edna began to speak:  
"Oh, it's nothing. A...", she hesitated. What exactly was the Key Master to her? An acquaintance? Or a friend? Yes, he was starting to become more than an acquaintance to her. "Friend of mine needs some furniture but he can't afford them and he's currently unable to work. And, well, I would like to help him..."  
Anika hummed, apparently deep in thought as her eyes had a faraway look upon them. Absentmindedly, she cleaned a nearby table – the guest had left about ten to fifteen minutes ago. No words came from Anika while she was cleaning the table; Edna decided to wait the next table meanwhile. The guest, a young woman, just ordered spaghetti and a Cola. It was only after Edna served the guest her order, Anika spoke to her:  
"What exactly does your friend need?"  
"Hm, let me see. He needs a closet, drawers, table and chairs", Edna replied, counting the objects off her fingers.  
"Do you think he could wait for a few days? Me and my boyfriend are about to move in together. Maybe we could provide with those. I just need to talk to him about it", the black woman responded. Edna nodded, the corners of her mouth moving upwards:  
"That would be nice."  
"Konrad! Straube! Stop gossiping and get back to work!"  
Both women jumped at the sudden yell of their boss. With a quick "yes sir" coming from the both of them, they continued their work. There was not much to do at the moment since about every guest had their order or already ordered but they would not dare to tell their boss. It was better to do their duties, there could always come a new guest or a guest would like to pay. As the patrons finished eating one by one and new ones arrived, it started to get more stressful. Edna and her colleagues ran left and right to take orders and to give the patrons the bill. She would certainly be glad when work was over...

One exhausting working shift later, as well as sleeping time and boring day at school, with food intake and personal hygiene thrown somewhere in-between, Edna once again visited the Key Master together with Harvey. She had a pillow and blankets as well as a book Tina had lend her with her. Also, she had her notes about _Faust_ and the book with her. After the Key Master had proven himself to be knowledgeable about this topic, she thought he could help her with her studies. Perhaps he could give explanations to her if she did not understand something. Then again, how much did he actually know? She should better not count to him knowing everything about the time period. It would be foolish if she did. Nonetheless, Edna knew she could count on his help.  
This time when she arrived at the wide open field with the hill and the house, she found the Key Master nowhere. Figuring he could be inside the house, she knocked on the insufferable means of exclusion. Almost immediately, he answered the door:  
"Hello, Princess."  
He waved at her to come inside while walking towards the space between closet and bed, where he kept the ice box. Edna followed him and looked over his shoulder when he opened the box. She noticed there was not much left for him to eat. Just enough for two days.  
"If you want one too, you're free to take one", the Key Master offered after he grabbed a sandwich.  
"No thanks, I had a quick bite to eat before I came here", Edna declined. The Key Master shrugged and closed the box. Edna, meanwhile, took her rucksack off and opened it. She took everything out, placing them on the bed along with Harvey.  
"Here for you, except for Harvey, the _Faust_ book and folder; I still need them. Oh, and the book's Tina's, so she will be wanting it back sooner or later."  
The Key Master hummed in response while viewing the objects on his bed and simultaneously eating a ham sandwich. He took Tina's book in his hand and scrutinized the cover.  
"Grimm's fairytales? You do know I'm older than you, don't you?", he commented.  
"Hey, you didn't say what genres you like", Edna defended herself. "And I don't have any books, except for my textbooks, and Tina owns only a handful of German books and I don't know if you'd read English books. The only other lecture I could offer is Captain Useless comics."  
Edna gave him a glare, daring him to make a degrading comment. He responded with the same facial expression. For a moment, it looked like a staring contest was taking place; neither of them blinked or averted their eyes. In fact, it almost seemed like none of them were breathing. Only the slight up and down movements of their chests indicated the life-giving inhale of oxygen and exhale of carbon dioxide.  
"This is boring", Harvey complained from his spot on the bed after several minutes. Edna broke her eye contact with the Key Master to glance at the lagomorph rag doll made of terry cloth.  
"Be quiet, Harvey", she said with a slightly reproving tone in her voice.  
"You know, I think I can live with Grimm's fairytales. It's better than nothing", the Key Master relented. Edna turned her attention back to him, giving him a happy smile.  
"If it's any consolation for you, when I moved in with Tina, I didn't know what to do with myself whenever we had horrible weather and I couldn't go out exploring", she told him. "I didn't know anyone here back then, so Tina suggested I could do something creative."  
"That explains all the clay figures in your room", the Key Master commented with a smirk.  
"Yup. We could try to find a hobby for you. Hey, maybe you could do arts too", Edna suggested enthusiastically. "It's much more fun if it's not part of occupational therapy. I could buy you the materials. They aren't that expensive. At least it's cheaper than to buy new interior."  
"Well, I could try to occupy myself with arts. Better than to be bored to death", the Key Master responded. "But regarding your last sentence, you have difficulties with getting new furniture?"  
"Well, I don't happen to have a donkey that poops gold. But I nevertheless have good news in regards to your furniture", Edna started and told the Key Master about her conversation with Anika the day before.  
"Now we only need a way to get the furniture here", he said when Edna was done talking. Suddenly, he grinned at her, revealing his teeth that had a yellowish tint to them. Well, he was on the run until he came here, so she could not expect him to brush his teeth every day. Besides, it was not like an escapee would carry oral care products with him or her. Then again, the Key Master mentioned he had left his behind in his old hideout. How did he get those?  
"By the way, I feel honored you refer to me as your friend", the Key Master said.  
"I think that was a mistake", Harvey commented.  
"Yeah", Edna replied with a shrug, ignoring the blue rabbit. "I felt the word 'acquaintance' would not suffice. But, um, I got a question."  
"Fire away."  
"You mentioned you left your oral care products behind in your old hideout. But how did you get them?"  
He stared at her, obviously not having expected this kind of question. Nonetheless, he answered:  
"I stole them from the storage room of a store. One employee, apparently a newbie, was taking out the trash and left the door open. I saw no one was there, so I dashed in and stole a toothbrush, a cup and several tubes of toothpaste."  
"And you weren't caught?", Edna asked impressed.  
"Well, it was no different than from hiding from Doctor Marcel's minions or the authorities", the Key Master shrugged. "You could manage it too if you have to."  
"I guess I could", Edna responded, taking her _Faust_ book and folder in her hands. "Um, do you think you could help me with studying?"  
"Of course. Come, let's go outside. I think it would be better to learn outside in the fresh air than stuck inside."  
Together, Edna and the Key Master walked outside. She was glad he agreed to help her. Now and then, she found herself wishing they had met under more pleasant circumstances that did not involve murder or hiding. His company was much more enjoyable now than it was before when he scared her and made her feel uneasy. They sat down underneath a tree at the edge of the forest. Edna showed the Key Master her notes while also opening the respective pages. She told how she understood each scene and he would either agree or correct her or add something. His explanations were easy to understand and Edna learned quickly, partly because she already studied a bit over the last few days.  
"There's something I don't quite understand", Edna mentioned after they spoke of the scene in which Faust killed Gretchen's brother. Her cheeks slowly but surely started to redden. "Why was he so adamant that Faust would marry Gretchen? They only slept together."  
"Yes, but this was the Middle Ages. During those times, it was frowned upon to have sex before marriage, more so if the woman did the deed. They were supposed to lose their virginity on their wedding night, have many kids with the husband, take care of them and cook and do the housework. It actually didn't really matter if the man had had sex, I think", the Key Master explained musingly. "People were strict against sex before marriage; Gretchen would be dishonored if Faust would not marry her. She would have little to no chances of ever finding a husband, especially since she has a child. It's different nowadays, when people can get intimate with each other even when they're not married and will probably not be."  
"Being a woman in the Middle Ages does not sound fun. Only restrictions and no freedom", Edna commented repulsively. "It's like women were only reproduction and cleaning and cooking machines."  
"Yes, those were the times. Women were seen by society as useless and only good for bearing sons – daughters weren't quite wanted."  
"That doesn't make sense. How do they expect to reproduce? Anemophily? People from those times sure had screw loose... or a thousand."  
"I agree with you there but let's continue with your studies for your test", the Key Master said, sounding a little impatient. Realizing it made no sense to keep talking about it as well as to complain about something from ages past, Edna went back to her notes. Her cheeks, which had the color of strawberries, regained their normal complexion. Quite a few scenes were skipped since those were not read in school or for homework and therefore, she had no notes regarding those scenes. It was not long until she had to leave to get ready for work when they reached the end.  
"Here, Faust wants to save Gretchen from her execution yet he is also unsure about seeing her again after abandoning her. She doesn't recognize him at first and, because of the traumas she endured, is deluded. She thinks Faust is the executioner, so she begs him to prolong the time until her death, even asking to feed her child. It is only when Faust calls Gretchen's name she realizes who he is. At first, she is glad to see him again, as there is hope he could save her, though she quickly realizes he is not the man she fell in love with. He rejects her affection, which makes Gretchen feel skeptical about him. Faust urges her to flee; she refuses, knowing she deserves death because of her murders. The guilt takes over her, making her more and more deluded as morning approaches while Faust becomes more panicked. Upon seeing Mephistopheles arriving at Faust side, Gretchen ultimately decides to give up on Faust and calls upon God to show she's against the devil's presence. Faust and Mephistopheles flee while Gretchen dies, but the line 'is saved' indicates her salvation."  
Edna listened attentively while the Key Master explained the final scenes, even taking notes. Her teacher had indicated they would have to write an interpretation about the final scene during the test. The Key Master also showed the lines that basically told the reader what the characters were thinking or feeling and he and Edna discussed the ending in great detail until she had to leave for the day.

* * *

Author's note: Anika's last name - Straube - is named after German voice actor Manuel Straube. His works include the singing voice of young Simba as well as of both Flynn Rider and Prince Hans. He also voices Phineas in _Phineas & Ferb_.


	7. An Invitation For A Sleepover

Let's start the New Year with a new chapter! Yay! (It's already 2016 where I live)

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 **An Invitation For A Sleepover**

Friday morning came with a gray, gloomy sky but still high temperatures. Edna was glad when the week was over; it meant one step closer to summer vacation. Six whole weeks to enjoy with no worries about tests, homework and without getting up early in the morning. She could finally find the time to do so many things she barely had time for, like swimming or exploring the nearby woods. She had no time to do so yet since she was always so exhausted after work. She could also invite the Key Master to go with her; he could need the variety and they might find something mysterious and exciting, like a portal to another dimension. Edna also reckoned they should take their time to think of something to keep the cottage warm during winter. The only idea she had so far was to collect lots and lots of firewood, which was kind of difficult without an ax. She knew he had to think ahead for when the cold seasons arrived. She wondered how he managed to get through fall and particularly winter in the last few years. Another question to ask that could be added to the list, Edna thought while taking a bite of the rolls with sausage she was having for breakfast.  
"Tina?", she tried to get her housemate's attention after swallowing her bite. The chubby blond looked over to her, saying "yes?"  
"There's something I need to get from my old hideout", Edna told her. "Would it be possible for you to give me a lift tomorrow?"  
She looked expectantly at Tina, who made an uncomfortable face. Tina avoided looking at Edna and answering her question by fixing her eyes on her cereals and taking a few bites until...  
"Do you need your stuff urgently?", she inquired.  
"Not really", Edna replied. "Why?"  
"I'm visiting an old friend of mine who's celebrating their birthday tomorrow", Tina explained. "I'm actually leaving this afternoon. I'll be back Sunday around midday, early afternoon at the latest."  
Edna gave a nod in response. She was a little saddened that she could not get her stuff this weekend as she was hoping to visit her parents' graves. However, Tina did not say anything about never giving her a lift – even if she did, this would not have prevented Edna from taking the train. It was just more convenient if Tina would drive her. If Edna was lucky, it was just a delay of a few days, a week at most, which was nothing to cry about.  
"Do you have time next week?", Edna asked, taking a sip from her coffee while waiting for a response.  
"Yes, I could give you a lift next Saturday", Tina replied with a nod. Edna grinned at her and finished her breakfast.

Left and right of Edna, people were complaining about the humid weather. They sweated and the hairs of some were curly in the heat. She knew she did not look better herself and she actually did not really mind this kind of weather but the thunderstorm that was going to inevitably happen was what she hated. If it were just hot, she would not complain but like this? Hopefully it would be better the following day.  
"Edna! Wait for me!"  
The dark haired adult stopped walking and turned around to see Bianca running up to her. They greeted each other once she caught up to Edna and walked the rest of the way together. Both were talking about the upcoming test later this day; Bianca made no secret that she was nervous; this topic was not her strength. Edna actually felt confident; thanks to the hours she spent studying with the Key Master. He had a great interest in _Faust_ before he ended up in the asylum and, although he was a little rusty, he had been a great help. She thought about inviting him somewhere if the test goes well. But first, she had to wait and see.  
Both girls were greeted by Sebastian the moment they arrived at school. As they made their way to their classroom, several of Edna's classmates – those who inexplicably got along with Heike – hissed insults like "loony", "weirdo" or "go back to the loony bin where you belong" to her. She hated it when they did this but did not show it outwardly; she always put on a poker face when she heard those words. Still, it would be grand if they stopped. They did not know anything about her past; they had no right to insult her like this. She was crazy and she would always proudly admit it but the way her classmates talked to her always gave her the feeling she should have never broken out of the mental institution.  
"Edna, I asked my parents if you could come with us to France", Sebastian told her joyfully. Bianca stared alternately at him and Edna in confusion.  
"France? Did I miss something?"  
"He offered I could join him and his family when they take a vacation in France", Edna explained to Bianca, who only said "ah, I see" in response. Bianca did not look at either of them until they reached their classroom. Maybe it was Edna's imagination, but she would have sworn Bianca sounded a little jealous.  
"Sebastian", Edna said his name for his attention as Bianca sat down on her seat. "Have you made the same offer you made to me to her?"  
"Um no", he admitted, sounding and looking a little dumbfounded. Edna held back a sigh she felt was about to escape her mouth and decided to just take her seat. She would talk to Bianca during break as the bell rang at that moment to signal the start of the first lesson.

* * *

While Edna was feeling like she was in a rainforest because of the humid air, the weather at Doctor Marcel's institution and the surrounding areas was different. It was a fine summer day, not unlike the last few days they had enjoyed, so no description of that. It did not even matter what kind of weather it was, a person with ice powers could set off an eternal winter and none of the loonies in the asylum would know – except maybe one or two. They were all confined in this building with no way out unless Doctor Marcel declared them as mentally stable, which had not happened to anyone since shortly after Edna's escape. There were attempts to break out on a daily basis, with an average of three patients per day. None of them were successful; it did not stop them from trying, nonetheless. Even Doctor Marcel's punishments, which were quite severe, did nothing to dampen the desire of freedom many patients felt and this was something that gave the doctor as well as his employees a headache.  
"And stay there", Anes snapped as he rudely pushed a patient, who had been running around freely, to the recreation room. Said patient as a young man who only communicated in a fictional language, which was the reason he ended up here. His name was Maximilian, or Max for short. He was bald, not very tall but no dwarf either and perhaps a little skinny. Max had slipped away when Babbitt escorted him to the recreation room but ran into Anes. No matter how often this happened, it always annoyed him that patients kept trying to escape, which was the reason why Anes spent years developing a new and rather strong type of anesthetic. He was on his way to Doctor Marcel to present it to him. Hopefully it would make life much easier then.  
Anes arrived at the door leading into Doctor Marcel's office. Without wasting any time hesitating, unlike everyone else working here, he pounded on the door. He got the permission to enter a moment later and opened the door, stepping in. The doctor sat at his desk and, judging from all the documents on it, was in the middle of doing paperwork. A ballpoint pen he held in his hand hovered a centimeter over a piece of paper he looked up from.  
"Yes? What is it, Anes?", he questioned.  
"Doctor Marcel, I might just have the thing to make our life easier", the guard started, aware he sounded like a used car dealer but it did not matter because he seemed to have gained Doctor Marcel's attention. He put his pen down and focused his single eye on Anes with the utmost interest. Anes cleared his throat and continued: "I worked on an anesthetic that would show its effect about seventy percent faster than any other anesthetic. I imagined we use it as tranquilizer dart and shoot any patient who's trying to escape."  
"Hm", Doctor Marcel hummed, still staring at Anes but not making any more sounds. "Can you show the effect? Perhaps on Hulgor or any other of my employees?"  
"Of course I can. I'll go fetch Hulgor and demonstrate my new anesthetic immediately", Anes replied and was about to leave when somebody knocked on the door.  
"Who is it?", the older man in the wheelchair asked.  
"It's me, Hulgor", came from the other side. How very convenient, Anes thought while Doctor Marcel permitted the large, blond man to enter his office. "You wanted to see me?", Hulgor asked his boss, without so much as sparing a glance at Anes.  
"Yes, I did", Doctor Marcel replied, rolling from behind his desk towards his employees. "For one, I need you to get something for me in the village – there's a note on my desk", he indicated at the aforementioned note, "and two, Anes needs your help to demonstrate something for me."  
Before Hulgor had the chance to ask what exactly Anes needed him for, the latter had already injected his anesthetic in his neck. A second later, Hulgor was out like a light. Doctor Marcel smirked sinisterly; he steepled his fingers while leaning back and saying "excellent."

* * *

While Doctor Marcel and Anes were busy working on a method to subdue patients, the Key Master used his time to read the book Edna had bought. It was Grimm's fairytales and the story he read was _Rapunzel_. There was some similarity he saw between Rapunzel and Edna, at least regarding their situations. Both were kept locked up for a good part of their lives, but for different reasons, and were rather naïve about the real world out there. He knew, however, that Edna made who knows how many attempts to escape while Rapunzel did not start planning her escape until the prince had convinced her. Both were also quick to trust the first person who had a proper plan to flee from their respective prisons. Well, at least Edna was not pregnant during her escape, unlike Rapunzel. It would have made it for her more difficult she had been with a child, especially after she would have given birth. It would have been easier for the authorities to find her and who knew what would have happened to her child.  
The Key Master shook his head. Why was he even thinking about something like this? He spent too much time with Edna but she was the only one he could trust and, admittedly, he enjoyed her company. The urge to indiscriminately kill innocent people diminished more and more ever since he found her, although it had already started long ago. If he thought about it, he only killed those who could have been a danger to his freedom. Anyway, at first, he had only stopped because he killed his victims using the same method – hanging them from somewhere high up – and he was wary because of this that the police could see a pattern and perhaps plan a strategy to capture him. The Key Master did not think much about the police but even he knew they were not completely stupid. One way or another, they would have caught him if he had kept it up. Thus, he only focused his energy on finding Edna, which he succeeded in. His urge to murder somebody returned now and then but he did his best to hold it back.  
At the moment, he was busy enough making the house he was living in more comfortable. The stuff Edna brought was helpful, yet there were still things that needed to be constructed, like shelves and drawers. He made a mental note to ask Edna for the needed materials when she comes over for a daily visit or he could wait until he would get her friends' furniture. Putting the book down, he viewed out of the window to the overcast sky.  
"Wonder if she's already writing her test or if it's over?", he mumbled to himself, thinking of how nervous she appeared when she left the day before.

* * *

It was the final break before German class and therefore the test. During the day, Edna had made several attempts to talk to Bianca but was unsuccessful. She could try it again now but Bianca was so busy looking through her notes, she decided to let it be. There was always time later. Instead, Edna skimmed through her own notes while snacking on a Kinder Bueno.  
The bell rang to signal the start of the lesson; Missus Rosefield appeared not even a second later. She called for her students to put their books and notes away while she walked to her desk.  
"Take out your pen and at least one sheet of paper. We'll start when everyone has the questions", the elderly teacher said, taking out the aforementioned questions out of her briefcase. Every student quickly put their books and notes away and got out a pen and paper. Edna took four sheets of papers; some, like Sebastian or Gabrielle, took out a notebook. During all this, Missus Rosefield walked along the rows, putting a sheet of paper with the questions with its unwritten side up on each desk. Once everyone received them, she walked back to her desk and announced:  
"You know what to do. Begin."  
Everyone simultaneously turned their papers around. Edna skimmed through the questions, thinking to herself that she could do this. She noticed Missus Rosefield was once again walking around; this time, their teacher checked the notebooks for any cheat sheet. Edna turned her attention back to the test, this time reading the questions slowly and thinking what to write for an answer.

 _1\. How does the "Gretchen question" go?  
2\. Describe the wager Mephistopheles and God made in the prologue.  
3\. Give an explanation as to why Faust is feeling depressive at the beginning of the tragedy.  
4\. How did Gretchen's mother die?  
5\. Give a short interpretation to the final scene of Faust I!  
6\. Give differences and similarities between Goethe's Faust and the historical Faust!  
7\. Explain society's view on intimate relationships at the time of Faust!_

Edna's gawked slack-jawed at the last question. She had not expected anything like this; she did not even go through this when she studied with the Key Master, except for the brief mention that intimate relations outside of marriage was frowned upon. But they did not thoroughly discuss this topic, in her opinion, and, in fact, this topic made Edna blush. Still, maybe what they discussed about it was enough to suffice. She shook her head to clear her mind and turned her attention to the first question:

 _How does the "Gretchen question" go?_

I know the answer, Edna thought and started writing her name on her sheet of paper before writing down the answer:

 _"Now tell me, how do you take religion?"_

Edna decided to skip the second question for the moment and went straight over to the third. She thought about her answer for a minute or two and then wrote how Faust was a highly educated man, having studied numerous things throughout his life, and yet knew nothing, leaving him dissatisfied.

 _4\. How did Gretchen's mother die?_

The young woman thought about what the Key Master told her. Gretchen wanted to invite Faust in her room but feared her mother, thus Faust gave her a sleeping potion. The mother died from the lethal potion – either because it was an overdose or it was actually poison, it was never mentioned. Smirking to herself, Edna wrote the answer down.  
The test went on; nothing was heard but the scratching of the pens when the answers were written down. Occasionally, Missus Rosefield would go through the room and look over the students' shoulder. However, she never made any indication whether the answer was correct or not.  
"Put down your pens!", the teacher demanded towards the end of the lesson. "That goes for you too, Lisa. I will collect the questions and your answers."  
Edna leaned back in her chair while Missus Rosefield was collecting numerous pieces of potential spitting ammunition. Not long until classes were over and not long until summer vacation started. Edna could hardly wait.

The rest of the school day passed without any noticeable incidents, except perhaps when a boy farted during the final lesson. Anyhow, school was over and Edna just arrived home. Tina was already gone but a note on the coffee table told her she had made spaghetti for her. Deciding to eat it for dinner, as she was not feeling hungry, Edna went to her room.  
"Hey, Harv", she greeted her lagomorph rag doll joyfully. "Ready to see the Key Master?"  
"No", Harvey retorted defiantly. "But you seem to be tremendously happy about visiting him."  
"Are you insinuating something? Whatever, let's go."  
She was about to grab Harvey and leave the apartment when the doorbell rang. Silently asking herself who this could be, she answered the door to find Bianca on the other side.  
"Hi, Edna. Can I speak with you?", she asked, averting her eyes and playing with a strand of her black hair.  
"Uh sure", Edna replied feeling a little flabbergasted. Bianca had gone straight home, without even saying good bye to her or Sebastian, so Edna had kind of given up to talk to her for the day. But seeing her on her doorstep was an unexpected circumstance. She stepped aside to permit Bianca entrance into her apartment. Bianca walked past Edna, still not looking at her.  
"Can I offer you something? A glass water perhaps?", the older one of the two ladies in this apartment asked while closing the door.  
"Water would be nice", her classmate replied.  
"Okay. Take a seat while I get you one", Edna said before walking to the kitchen. She took out a glass from a cupboard, which she filled with mineral water. When she returned to the living room, she found Bianca on the couch, playing with a little ribbon that decorated her shirt. Edna placed the glass on the coffee table, right in front of Bianca, and sat down next to her, so that a big gap was between them. Neither of them said anything for a while, except Bianca to thank her for the water, but other than that, it was completely silent. Edna glanced at her several times to see if she was about to speak. Unfortunately, Bianca seemed to be busier playing with her shirt than to talk.  
"What is it you wanted to talk about?", Edna finally asked. This was getting a little uncomfortable for her with Bianca just sitting there and not saying anything, only occasionally sipping her water. She stopped playing with her ribbon and finally looked at Edna, albeit a little hesitatingly.  
"I'm sorry about my behavior today", she apologized. "It's just... I'm feeling a little jealous. I was hoping Sebastian would ask me to join him and his family on their vacation."  
"It's okay, no hard feelings. But, um, do you have a crush on him?", Edna inquired. Unfortunately, her question caused Bianca to avert her eyes again. However, she replied a moment later in a small voice:  
"Yes, for some time now. He doesn't know it, though."  
"Why didn't you ever tell him?"  
Bianca stared at Edna as if she had suddenly grown a second head.  
"Did you never have a crush on anyone? No one just goes up to the person they have feelings for and admit them... unless they gathered up all their courage or they know what the other's feeling."  
"Sounds unnecessarily complicated...", Edna commented, suddenly thinking about someone with an unusual skin color for some reason.  
"That's the way it is. But I think Sebastian has a crush on you...", Bianca sighed and stood up. "I should better go now. See you on Monday."  
She left the apartment. Edna stayed where she was until she heard the door closing. Sighing to herself, she brought the empty glass to the kitchen and placed it in the sink. Her mind was on what Harvey said before Bianca came for a visit and what she asked. Harvey was of the opinion she was enormously happy to see the Key Master and she had to think about him at Bianca's question. Was Harvey suggesting she had a crush on the Key Master? Edna shook her head, this was ludicrous. She merely enjoyed his company and would like to learn more about him, not to mention she found him fascinating. But crushing on him? Yeah right, and Doctor Marcel was the kindest person on the world. Deciding not to think about this anymore, she made her way to the Key Master's place for her daily visit, but not before getting Harvey from her room.

Edna arrived at the Key Master's place soon after. As she became more familiar with the path to the house, she was able to walk it faster and faster with each day. She could even walk this path with her eyes closed, but she had not tried it yet. Maybe someday. For now, she would just keep him company and see what they would be doing. She knocked on the door, which the Key Master answered a second later.  
"Ah, Edna. Do come in", he greeted her, stepping aside to let her enter. Edna entered the house while saying "hi". She heard him closing the door and then approaching her. As he stood before her, she suddenly realized how much taller he was compared to her. It was actually not that much but from her own point of view, she felt like a midget. Perhaps the thought that Harvey insinuated she was crushing on the Key Master clouded her mind. Yes, that had to be it. She gave herself a mental slap just in time to hear the Key Master's question:  
"How did it go?"  
"How did wh- Oh! The test! It went pretty well actually", Edna replied, smiling brightly at the Key Master. "Thanks for helping me."  
"Don't mention it", the Key Master waved his hand once, though a slight smile appeared on his face. Edna decided to take a moment to study his appearance. He wore a navy blue shirt and a pair of jeans, both of which belonged to her father, alongside black boots. She noticed Mattis's clothes only barely fitted the Key Master. Perhaps she should buy him actual new clothes and shoes, although she would have to ask him to come along with her.  
"So, what did you do today?", Edna asked, deciding to break the silence.  
"Oh, nothing except reading", the Key Master shrugged. "It gets a little boring all alone out here."  
"I can relate to that... I'll be alone at home this weekend. Maybe you could come over for a sleepover?"  
The Key Master stared at her in surprise, as did Harvey. Edna could not blame them for their reaction. After all, when the Key Master suggested he could sleep at her place, she was completely against it. This time, however, she did not mind and she could use some company.  
"Edna! What are you doing!?", a panicked Harvey exclaimed. She patted his head to calm him down, looking expectantly at the Key Master.  
"I thought you didn't want me to sleep at your place", he stated bluntly. "At least that's how I interpreted your reaction last week."  
"Well, this time, Tina won't be there", Edna shrugged. "And really? It's only been a week? It feels like much more time has passed..."  
"Time can be a funny thing. It's always constant but we feel it passes faster than a cheetah can run a certain distance or slower than-"  
"Than Bladder on the toilet", Edna interrupted with a grin. The Key Master chuckled. "I didn't know you could be so philosophical. Then again, I hardly know anything about you."  
It was true, there was only little Edna knew about this man. There was a lot she would like to know about him, his actual name, his age, how he ended up in the asylum and more. Her attempt to ask for his name had been in vain and since then, she had not dared to ask anything else about his past.  
"You could ask me while I'm at your place. Whether I can or will answer your questions is another matter entirely", the Key Master replied. Edna stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.  
"So, you're going to come?"  
The response she received was a simple nod before the Key Master turned away to gather his stuff, even if it was not much. Edna decided to sit down on the bed and studied the room. It was hard to tell when this house was built; it could have been anywhere between a hundred years to a couple of years ago. The only certain thing was the lack of electricity and central heating, apart from the fireplace. But perhaps whoever built this house wanted neither or did not have the chance to include them. Every piece of furniture looked ancient and in a bad shape. No wonder the Key Master wished for a new interior. This one looked like everything was about to collapse. Only the bed and the bean bag chair did not need to be replaced. These were as good as new... well, almost. Feeling it was unusually dark for this time of the day Edna turned her upper body around and looked out the window. The clouds had visibly darkened. Treetops swayed in the wind and it seemed it was getting stronger.  
"It looks like a storm is coming... Maybe we should wait it out before going to your place", the Key Master's voice said right next to Edna. She gave a start; she had not noticed him suddenly appearing right next to her.  
"Um..."  
"Aw, come on, Edna! We can make it home and a little rainwater would not kill us!", Harvey commented.  
"Alright, if you say so", the dark haired woman muttered to her rag doll rabbit. Then she addressed the Key Master: "If we hurry, we could make it to my apartment. We might get a little wet but no big deal."  
"Well, I'm going to trust your judgment", the man next to her responded. "But we should better go now."  
Edna nodded in agreement and jumped off the bed, silently asking the Key Master if he was ready to leave. He nodded to her unspoken question and together, they started their trek to Edna's apartment.

* * *

The Key Master and Edna were wet to the bone by the time they arrived inside the latter's apartment. A downpour had started when they were almost at the complexion and, while they ran as fast as they could, they still ended up looking like they jumped in a swimming pool in their everyday clothes.  
"Y-you call that a... a little w-wet?", the Key Master asked incredulously, teeth chattering and shivering.  
"I-I was wr-wrong about t-that. I th-thought we could make it i-in time", a freezing Edna replied. She rushed to the bathroom, coming back with two towels a minute later. She gave one to the Key Master, who took it silently.  
"I go get changed in my room, you can do the same here", she suggested while drying herself off. The Key Master nodded in agreement, waiting until she was in her room before he started to get changed. First, he took off his shoes, socks and pants since the wet jeans material was the most uncomfortable feeling he could think of at the moment. He replaced his pants with a pair of sweatpants. Then he took off his shirt, throwing it onto the pile with the other wet clothes. Just as he was about to pick a new shirt, he heard a door open and close and Edna, carrying her wet clothes, coming closer.  
"Are you done changing y – Oh!", she blushed upon seeing the Key Master shirtless. Determinedly, she looked everywhere except at him, only glancing once or twice at him, her blush becoming a deeper shade of red each time. Admittedly, he could not quite understand her reaction; she had seen him like this before and, though surprised, had not blushed. There was no reason for her to react like this, in his opinion. He had, after all, not the appearance of a bodybuilder who strayed too far from his gym.  
"Halfway", the Key Master responded curtly. "But if you're planning to hang our clothes for drying, you're free to take these." He indicated at the pile of clothes on the floor. "I'm almost done."  
Edna quietly nodded, apparently unable to say anything. He heard her picking up the wet clothes and leaving the living room while he picked out a pale yellow shirt. Not knowing what to do, he placed his bag next to the couch and sat down, being joined by Edna, whose blush was gone, a few minutes later. He noticed she kept glancing at him, like she wanted to say something but it did not dare to. At first, he did not do anything to show he noticed, he just waited for her to talk. Once in a while, she would make "uh" with her mouth but when he gazed at her, she looked in another direction and said nothing. After what the Key Master felt was the tenth time this happened, he was about to speak up if Edna had not decided to turn on the television. She zapped through several channels before stopping at one where an animated show about two boys building stuff, their older sister attempting to bust them and their pet platypus fighting an evil scientist was running. Perhaps she was willing to talk when it was over. It was worth a try at the very least, and it would not be so unbearably quiet. The Key Master did not really pay attention while watching the show; he just wanted to talk to Edna once the episode was over. Still, he had to chuckle at the scene when the older sister screamed at cheese in a supermarket and people stared at her.  
"Is every episode like this?", the Key Master asked when the episode was over and commercial break started.  
"I've only seen a handful of episodes, but as far as I can judge it, this is what basically every episode is about. Only it's usually not like a musical, this one was the exception. But there's still lots of singing", Edna explained, finally facing him.  
"I see... But I wonder, was there something you wanted to tell me?", he looked inquiringly at her. When she did not answer, he added: "Now come on, I noticed you kept looking at me."  
"Well, there was something I wanted to ask but I didn't know how", Edna answered, nervously playing with her shirt. The Key Master looked at her for a moment, feeling there was no need for her to be so nervous. Had they not come closer over the last few days? Was it possibly a question that would cross an invisible line that nevertheless still existed? The line that prevented them from asking or answering certain questions? Judging from Edna's behavior, this might as well be the case. He had to show her there was no need for her to be afraid; he was not going to kill her.  
"Just ask", he simply said, placing a hand on her arm in reassurance. Edna gave a tiny smile and stopped fidgeting, sitting up straight and taking a deep breathe.  
"Well, I wanted to ask you... ask you...", the Key Master noticed her hesitation in her voice immediately. She looked everywhere as she spoke except at him. Suddenly, her eyes had some sort of gleam in them, as if she just had an idea. Taking another deep breath, she looked at him: "I wanted to ask you if you could assist me with my Arts homework."  
This was not what she wanted to ask him. The Key Master did not know how or why, but he somehow knew she had another question on her mind. Sure, he could scare her into revealing her actual question if he wanted to. It was just that he did not want to; she would be asking her question sooner or later.  
"If you tell me what it is, I could try to", he responded with a simple shrug. Thus, Edna began to explain her homework.

"Okay, from what I understand, you can't really decide which one you should choose?", the Key Master recapped after Edna's explanation, to which she shook her head to answer in the negative. "Then tell me, what was your problem again? I can't really remember you mentioning it."  
"Well, I just wanted to hear some suggestions", Edna responded with a shrug. "I already know what I'm going to choose."  
"Which you still haven't told me. Now tell me what are you going to choose?"  
"Oh, I haven't told you yet?", she played with a strand of hair, nervously laughing. Her eyes darted around the room until they settled on the only man in the room. "It's CD cover I chose."  
"I see", he replied, slowly nodding. "And for what kind of music are you thinking about?"  
" _Jesus Zombie Massacre_ or _God Sucks Inc_ ", the purple haired woman replied immediately. Well, those were not exactly the kind of music the Key Master liked listening to. He had a dislike for really loud music, although he did not mind it a long time ago. But it was just hard for him to hear loud music and not feel like his ears would fall off after having been immersed into silence for so long. Besides, everything that was louder than a whisper was less than convenient while on the run.  
"But I really wish Heike would just shut her trap", he heard Edna mumble to herself.  
"Who's Heike?", the Key Master asked in confusion.  
"Well, do you remember when I told you I pushed a person into a pond?", Edna asked, continuing after he nodded in affirmation: "That was her. There isn't one day she doesn't belittle or insult me in any way. It's getting sickening after having to endure this for a couple of years."  
Now the Key Master understood why Edna pushed a girl into a pond. He would have reacted like this too if a person would treat him like this, except he would have made sure they were dead or at least severely hurt. No, he reconsidered; his former self – the lunatic murderer – would have done the latter part but not his current, attempting to reform self. Still, he could not blame her for doing this. Admittedly, he felt a little rage towards this Heike who kept bullying Edna.  
"I see what you mean but back to your homework... Have you talked to Harvey about this yet? Maybe he could help you too", the Key Master suggested, despite feeling weird to refer to a toy like it was an actual person.  
"I tried to but he suggested I should design a flaming necklace and with 'flaming' he meant actual fire", Edna responded emotionlessly. "He's not much of a help when it's about school. He hates school."  
The Key Master gave a slight nod of comprehension. He stood up, slowly walking around the room in deep thought. He heard of the bands Edna was thinking about but he was not completely sure what kind of music they played – except that it was some kind of metal. If he knew more, he could be of better help but Edna was such a creative woman, she was sure to think of something by herself. For instance, she could listen to the bands, which could inspire her to the creation of a CD cover. She could also look at actual covers or, alternatively, she could look through music magazines. The Key Master gave the living room a once-over with his dark green eyes. He spotted no magazines, except for the television programs, a cooking magazine and a _Captain Useless_ comic. No music magazine whatsoever. Well, this would make it more difficult if there was not a little thing called the Internet. He was glad he remembered Edna mentioning how one could find information about everything on the Internet. The Key Master had not thought about it at first since he had had no access to it for most of the Two Thousand's and when he came into the asylum, the Internet was a relatively new thing back then. In fact, he had used the Internet only a handful times. Often, he wondered how much it had improved over the years. There was a lot of time that had passed; maybe it was much faster than it was before.  
"You could look at your own CDs or in the Internet and draw something based on it", the Key Master suggested. "Or you could also simply listen to the bands –"  
"Which could inspire me to create a CD cover?", Edna interrupted knowingly. "I guess I have an idea what you're getting at. On to the Internet!"  
She grinned goofily as she exclaimed her last sentence and skipped over to her room. The Key Master calmly followed her, finding her already sitting at her desk when he entered her room. He watched her booting up her laptop, soon seeing a desktop wallpaper depicting an ominous, gothic castle with a dragon flying in the sky. There were not many icons on the desktop, only four or five folders, two Internet icons, the wastebasket and the My Computer icon. He placed his hands on the desk and leaned a little closer when he noticed his hand was touching a small object. Taking it in his hands, he inspected the whatever it was. It was quite slim and long; it had a shape that would make it easy to transport.  
"That's a USB flash drive. You can save files and other stuff on it and copy it on another computer. Great for sharing certain things", Edna explained, watching him with interest.  
"Interesting", the Key Master commented. He gave Edna the flash drive. "Do you know what's on there?"  
"Hm, no, I don't think so", she replied while examining the object. A second later, her eyes widened in realization. "Oh wait a minute; I think I do know what's on there! There are probably the pictures from my and Tina's day at the beach a few weeks ago on it!"  
"We could look at those after your research", the Key Master suggested. Edna ogled at him, causing him to ask: "What?"  
"'We'?", she repeated with a single raised eyebrow. "Do you really want to see just a couple of pictures of two young women?"  
"You know, if you don't want me to see them, you could just say so", the Key Master pointed out. "It's not like I would slaughter you."  
"Well, you certainly don't come off as mad as you did in the church all those years ago...", he heard Edna mumble, more to herself than to him. A split second later, she addressed him: "I would like to look at them by myself at first. I could show them to you afterwards."  
"Acceptable", the Key Master responded. Edna gave him a small but pleased smile before turning back to her laptop. He watched her double-clicking a blue and orange icon and, a moment later, an Internet window popped open. She typed in the name _God Sucks Inc_ in the search bar of Google and then clicked on the option "images". They found more than enough results, which, judging from Edna's expressions, she was very fond of. Still, she had a look of disapproval for a few, which were mostly fan made, results. Admittedly, some of these fan made ones did look horrible but the Key Master was confident she could do better. He had faith in her.  
"Now let's see the results for the other band", Edna announced after a couple of minutes. "I think I have a couple of ideas in my mind. Guess I'll be drawing a lot later."  
The Key Master nodded in agreement. It was better, in his opinion, to do more than one was asked for.  
"Oh shut up, Harvey!", Edna suddenly told her lagomorph toy with a hint of a grin on her face. The Key Master's eyes shifted from her to Harvey and back again, while he pondered what she imagined Harvey had said.  
"And what are your ideas?"  
Edna hummed and tapped her chin while simultaneously spinning her chair like it was a carousel. Her eyes kept glancing to her small CD collection on the shelf above the desk. The Key Master glimpsed at her music collection, too. From what he could see, she had preference for rock and metal, like _God Sucks Inc_ , _Even Blacker Sabbath_ or _Jesus Zombie Massacre_. No surprise there, considering she wanted to design a cover for this type of music and not something like Beethoven or Verdi. He wondered if she became a fan of those bands on her shelf after her escape; he seriously doubted she had access to any kinds of music during her confinement. Unless the current guard at her door listened to music and sang along, and for some reason, the Key Master imagined every one of Doctor Marcel's minions had a horrible singing voice.  
"This is my little secret", Edna replied to his question with a mischievous grin while closing the Internet window and turning her laptop off the same moment lightning flashed and thunder growled not even a split second later. She stood up from her chair and walked towards her bed, sitting down on it to get a better view out of the window. "Somehow, I knew there was going to be a thunderstorm."  
She said this in such a matter-of-factly voice that the Key Master thought for a moment nothing could surprise her. The moment was over soon enough because he was sure there were quite a lot of things Edna could hardly expect.  
"Hey Key Master, how old are you?"  
She sat in tailor-fashion on her bed, facing him. Her head was slightly tilted as she considered him with big, curious eyes. The Key Master was a little taken aback by her question; he should have known she would ask something like this sooner or later but the suddenness and her straightforwardness were rather unexpected. He answered her question regardless:  
"I'm thirty-two years old."  
"So, you're eight years older than me...", Edna muttered, her eyes averted. The Key Master gave her a questioning look:  
"And that matters because...?"  
She looked up and shook her head.  
"Oh, no reason at all."  
A part of him was not entirely convinced by her response. There had to be more, he knew it. Yet, he had a feeling she would not reveal anything, no matter how much he asked or how gruesome his threats would be. She could be as persistent, if not more so, than he. Moments like these always reminded him with what kind of person he was talking to. He knew from the moment he first saw her she was different than all the other inmates – her will for freedom was strong, so much she was even willing to free a dangerous man. However, there was no denial she was crazy, though this part of her personality was kind of funny now and then – not that he would ever admit of thinking that. At other times, it could be dangerous because from what he could gather, Harvey apparently made hazardous suggestions and her talking to him when she was supposed to be as silent as a grave was really bad.  
"Why don't you just sit down?", Edna suggested, patting the empty space next to her. Shrugging, the Key Master sat on the edge of her bed. The mattress groaned as Edna moved closer to him until she was right next to him.  
"Can you tell me about yourself?", her voice was full of interest and curiosity.  
"Well, what do you want to know? There's not much I remember from my past."  
"Just tell me whatever floats your boat... or we could ask questions about each other."  
The Key Master suddenly started to chuckle loudly, earning a confused stare from Edna. Through his laughter, he could hear her asking what was so funny and if she had said something wrong. He inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times to calm himself down.  
"Don't worry, you didn't say anything wrong. It's just... a few days ago, I was thinking we would be playing a game of twenty questions and now, you essentially suggested this", he replied, managing to keep his voice calm but he could not stop himself from grinning.  
"Well, it is an amusing coincidence but I don't think it's _so_ funny", Edna replied slowly and uncertain.  
"There's not much one can laugh about when you're isolated."  
The dark purple haired female next to him nodded in understanding.  
"So, who's going to ask first?"  
"Lady's first", the Key Master responded, indicating with his hand towards Edna. Her question was asked almost immediately, like she already knew what she wanted to ask:  
"Do you want to go out and be among other people?"  
"I admit, I wouldn't mind it but there are several reasons I don't go out", the Key Master replied. He could practically see and hear the wheels turning in Edna's head, forming her next question. However, first he was asking his: "What happened with you after you pushed me down the railing in the church?"  
"I went back to my father's house and started to remember a couple of things from my past little by little. I found out what really happened shortly before I ended up in Doctor Marcel's asylum, but I'm not ready to talk about this yet. Anyway, I fled from the police as they were already at my house. During my escape, I lost Harvey and hid in a cave for the night. I snuck back to the village the next day and to my house and got my parents' clothes. Then I hid in said cave for a couple of days before seeking shelter in the nearby convent school", Edna described her side of the story. "Now then, why don't you go among other people?"  
"I'm just too used to being alone. Besides, some people could recognize me as the escaped convicted murderer", he hesitated before stating his third reason: "And... there might be a chance I could have a relapse and kill somebody again. Believe me, I haven't done anybody in for a long time and I don't want to start it again."  
"I see..."  
There was something sad about the look Edna gave him, like she felt sympathy towards him. Well, the Key Master had no right to tell her how to feel about him; he did not think he deserved this kind of reaction from anyone. But who was he to demand of people what they should or should not feel?  
"Why did you agree to go along with my plan, including freeing me?"  
He had wondered about this for quite some time now. Despite telling her he was dangerous, she nevertheless freed him while anybody else would have left him to rot in his cell. Edna's cheek gained a light red, almost pink color, and she played with her dark purple hair.  
"Well, you... you were the first person to have an actual plan. One that... that could actually work. And, well, you were different than the others", Edna stammered. The Key Master was surprised at the last part for he basically thought the same thing about her. If that would keep up, he should perhaps start to worry about this. He opted to not say anything and wordlessly nodded at her to ask her next question:  
"Do you... do you regularly get the urge to kill people?"  
"I wouldn't say regularly, no. It happens randomly, I think", the Key Master replied, shaking his head as he said the first sentence. "Now then my question: you said you lost Harvey. How did you get him back?"  
Edna reached for stuffed rabbit and took it in her arms before answering the question:  
"Well, Doctor Marcel found him and replaced his eyes with red ones. He used them to hypnotize my friend from the convent school, Lilli, but she sewed his old eyes back on after she found them. This is why he has a scar now." She pointed at said scar over the one eye. "Mother Superior had him for a short while until she kindly gave him back to me after I asked her."  
"I've been wondering where Harvey got the scar from", the Key Master commented.  
"Now you know. Okay then, how do you suppress the urge to kill?"  
"I try to think of something else and avoid going anywhere. So far, it had worked but I can't guarantee it always will."  
He did not know why he revealed this to her. He just could not stop himself from doing so. All he knew was that it was easy to talk to Edna about this. At least easier than to talk to a psychologist, who would probably not help him. He had conversations with a few in the asylum during his first two or three years there but they were no help at all. Eventually, they stopped coming and he was left alone in his cell, with only the occasional guard to bring him food and drink and to escort him to the washrooms. Sometimes, however, it was neither but try as he might he just could not remember where they took him at those times. Whenever he tried to recall the circumstances, he was only met with an unpleasant sight of a wicked smiling Doctor Marcel in his mind. But then, his memory was exceptionally foggy until he was back in his cell, staring at the padded walls.  
"Tell me, why did you agree to let me hide somewhere closer to your home?", the Key Master asked, not wanting to think about the blank spaces in his memories.  
"One reason was I somehow knew you would not give up pestering me about it and I didn't have a good day that day, so I wanted to spare me the headaches. Another reason was that I think everyone deserves a second chance, including you", Edna replied. "And, well, I was kinda glad you didn't die because of me. I felt guilty about this, you know..."  
The Key Master felt shocked and also a little touched by her confession. He saw the surprise in her eyes when they met in her house after so many years but never once in a thousand years would he have imagined she was that relieved. It actually made him feel good to know someone cared about him.  
"What did you do during the intervening years?", Edna questioned, slightly tilting her head.  
"Looking for you", the words shot right out of his mouth like a bullet from a pistol that was being fired. He registered the dumbfounded face she made and could guess what her next question would be.  
"What do you plan to do after you finish school?"  
"I'm embarrassed to say this but I don't really know...", Edna replied in a half-whisper. "I tried to plan my future but I just could never think of anything, except maybe..." She sighed, looking straight at the wall. "Well, I thought I could become a locksmith, since the duplication of the master key and the key to my house were perfect. But I'm not really sure if I should do this..."  
She turned her head back to her companion next to her:  
"Why were you looking for me?"  
"At first, to kill you", the Key Master replied, noting the fear in Edna's eyes and her sliding away from him. "I lost the will over the years and I guess I just wanted to see how you were doing out there in the real world. You don't have to worry about dying prematurely through my hands."  
"Well, I'm gonna believe you. But if I wake up dead because of you, I'm gonna kill you", she threatened, while moving back to her previous spot. The Key Master chuckled at her response.  
"Fine with me. You know, I think you should do something that involves forging. I can actually imagine you being excellent at it."  
"Well, it sounds more enticing than office work, admittedly... But what about you? What do you plan to do? Will this little house be your permanent residence? Or are you planning to do something else in your future?"  
"Actually, I'm not sure but I think I will leave the country sooner or later", he replied. He saw sadness appearing in Edna's purple eyes. Did she not want him to leave? He knew he would miss her but he could not spend the rest of his life hiding. There was at least a chance he could live in freedom abroad.  
"Do you already know where you will go to?", Edna asked, absentmindedly caressing Harvey's ears.  
"No, not yet. Why are you asking? Do you want to come with me?"  
"I...", Edna's attempt to reply was interrupted by a song suddenly playing. She excused herself for a moment and went over to her desk, picking up a small object. The music stopped and she talked into this thing. He could not hear what she was saying for it was incoherent but he noticed her shuffling her feet and nervously tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Now and then, she would nod and say something until, a few minutes later, she removed the device from her ear and pressed a button.  
"That was Tina, asking me how I'm doing and if I'm with anyone right now. I told her I was alone at home. And now, I have to go to work", she announced, first glancing at the screen and then putting it down. She looked at the Key Master: "If you want to, you can watch a movie or TV while I'm gone. I'll show how the movie player works."  
Edna took the Key Master's hand and led him to the living room and pointed at the black box underneath the television set. She explained to him how to turn it on or off and which button he should press to insert a movie, on both the device as well as the respective remote. The Key Master, despite being astonished that people watch their movies on plastic discs nowadays, understood it fairly quickly.  
"Kinda wish I could stay here instead of going out in the rain...", Edna commented just as the doorbell rang. She left him alone to answer, coming back a minute later, commenting: "My colleague's waiting in her car for me. How convenient."  
Edna quickly gathered some stuff the Key Master was sure she would need and left with the words "I'll back in a few hours. See ya!"  
"Bye", he replied and then she was gone. Alone in this apartment, he sat on the couch after turning on the television and took the remote, zapping through various channels. He was not familiar with anything that was shown and, frankly, most of it seemed to be crap. For example, there was a scripted reality show about a married couple going through a divorce after the wife found out her husband cheated on her with several young girls, all of whom are half as old as the husband and wife. He watched only a few minutes of it but he could already feel the loss of brain cells, thus he switched to another channel. Eventually, he found a documentary about Vikings, which he decided to watch.

* * *

Miles away, in an establishment on a hill were two men in a dark surveillance room, looking at the array of monitors now and then. Neither of them paid much attention to what the inmates were doing; it would only make them go crazy anyway. One of them, Bladder, sat on a chair, leaning back with his hands folded over his stomach and looking at René, who was talking about a video he found on the Internet. It involved a waiter carrying a plate of spaghetti, which fell on his head after slipping. Bladder listened with interest; everything was better than watching some loonies. Besides, nothing of particular interest happened since the mass breakout a few years ago, with the exception of a handful of nutcases trying to escape. But they never got far, so, as long as Bladder did not leave his post, it did not matter if he actually paid attention to the monitors or not.  
"How about I show it to you?", René suggested, holding up his cell phone. Bladder shrugged, not really caring, which his colleague seemed to take as a yes. René approached him, so that he stood next to him and held his phone in front of them, starting the video. It reminded Bladder of the old cartoons, like Goofy or Daffy Duck, he used to watch when he was a child. Neither of the men noticed the door opening and closing and a young man, whose face was hidden by a paper bag, entering the room. He hid in the shadows, listening intently to the men commenting the video.  
"Wait, can you pause the video?", Bladder asked upon noticing something. René did what he was asked, questioning why he should do it. The bald man pointed at a dark haired person in the background. "This person there looks familiar but I can't recognize them."  
His slim colleague stared at the person Bladder meant, nodding in agreement after a few minutes.  
"Reminds me of Edna but I think we need to see this video on a bigger screen to be sure..."  
Could it be they actually found her at last, all thanks to some random video on the Internet? Yes, they still did not know the location but it was a start. Doctor Marcel would be pleased to know they had something to go on in their search for Edna. But, none of them knew why Doctor Marcel was so adamant about catching Edna. She was not their only escapee running around free, so why did the doctor have such a particular interest in her? This was something they never understood and probably never will until he would explain it to them. They doubted he ever would tell them. Oh well, as long as they got paid for their jobs, they would not complain.  
"Let's wait until we're even sure it's really Edna before we report to Doctor Marcel", Bladder suggested.  
"Agreed", René nodded, looking up at the monitors. "Hey, are the patients supposed to run around freely on the third floor?"  
Bladder looked up at the monitors, seeing two inmates, who should actually be in the recreation room, in the visitor area of a solitary cell on the third floor. Without any hesitation, he sounded the alarm...

* * *

The thunderstorm was over by the time Edna returned from work. It was only raining and she did not really feel like walking through the rain, which was why she was glad Anika drove her to work and back home again. Edna got out of the car after it stopped in front of the apartment complex.  
"Thanks for giving me a lift."  
"No problem. And don't forget, me 'n Gregor will bring you the furniture tomorrow around one in the afternoon", Anika replied. Edna nodded in acknowledgement and waved her good bye before entering the building. She used the elevator to get up to her floor and entered her apartment about five minutes later. She could hear sounds coming from the living room; it sounded like one of the movies Tina owned. Edna was pretty sure it was one of her friend's since she heard singing coming from the living room and her movies included no songs. Wondering what the Key Master was watching, she went to the living room, where she found him watching _Mulan_. Currently he was at the scene and song where the soldier were wandering and singing about their perfect girls.  
"I didn't know you like _Mulan_ ", Edna commented, putting her bag to her feet and resting her folded arms on the backrest of the couch and looking at the Key Master in mild surprise. He turned his head, his green eyes meeting her purple ocular body part.  
"I remember seeing it back then, when it was released in theaters", he replied. "I think I watched it with my sister..."  
The last part was almost inaudible and he said it in a way that suggested he was talking more to himself than to her. Edna still heard this and raised her eyebrows in astonishment.  
"You have a sister?"  
"Had", he corrected her. "She died a long time ago."  
"How did she die?", Edna asked inquisitively. Somehow, she had a feeling the circumstance of her death was the reason the Key Master ended up in the asylum. He gave no answer for an awfully long time. He simply stared ahead to the movie playing and yet, his eyes were unfocused.  
"I can't remember...", he eventually responded almost as if in a daze.  
"Do you think it's got something to do with why you were in Doctor Marcel's asylum?", Edna inquired. She leaned forward, so that she was close to fall over head first on the couch.  
"There could be a possibility", he replied, still not looking at her. Moments passed without either of them saying anything and just watching the movie in silence. Edna wanted to say more about this but did not know what or how to say it. There were several ways the Key Master's sister's death could be linked with his confinement in a mental institution.  
"You don't think I killed her, do you?", he suddenly asked, rather aggressively. Edna was taken aback by his accusation and removed herself from the couch.  
"N-no", she stammered in fear, taking a further step back. The angry glint in the Key Master's eyes increased her heart rate. It was a miracle she could stand or even walk since her knees felt like rubber. Fortunately, he remained where he was, otherwise she would drop dead if he would menacingly approach her.  
"I better leave you alone", she squeaked and picked up her bag while rushing to her room, slamming the door behind her.  
The moment the door was shut Edna leaned against it, sighing in relief. She placed a hand over her pounding heart in an attempt to calm herself down. This little incident that just transpired reminded her of how the Key Master behaved after his murder of the reverend. He had been like almost exactly he was a moment ago – terrifying and mad, the only difference was that he did not blame her for killing anyone. Maybe it was a mistake to ask about his sister...  
"Well now, had a fight with your boyfriend?"  
Edna jumped at the voice only to realize it was just Harvey. However, the way he worded his question made her frown. There was so much venom in every single syllable, especially in the last word, which he also pronounced with more disgust than with everything related to order and tidiness.  
"Harvey, what's the matter? And who are you referring to as my boyfriend?", Edna questioned with a frown, slowly approaching her bed, where she left Harvey. He scoffed at her.  
"As if you didn't know. How many guys are you having in the living room, huh?"  
"You mean the Key Master? But why would you call him my boyfriend? You do know he's not my boyfriend."  
"But you wish he were", the rag doll rabbit retorted. When Edna only further furrowed her eyebrows, he added: "Oh come on! You'd have to be blind to not see it! Who was oh so sad when he said he would probably leave the country? Who sat so close to him that they almost sat on his lap? It sure wasn't me!"  
"Harvey, don't tell me you're jealous because he and I get along so well!", Edna replied in a raised voice. "What's the matter with you? What do you have against anyone who's friends with me? Wait..." Comprehension dawned on her face. Harvey actually never displayed any disgust or hatred towards any of her friends, with two exceptions and those were Alfred and the Key Master. "You only hate Alfred and the Key Master. In fact, Alfred wouldn't even be dead if you hadn't animated me into pushing him down the stairs! What have they done to you that you hate them so much!?"  
"You're seriously asking me this? They're bad for you, that's why! They would have corrupted you sooner or later!"  
"So, you mean I should do the Key Master in too!?"  
"It's only in your best interest."  
Edna felt rage surging through her body. How could her closest and oldest friend animate her to kill innocent people? And he was supposed to come from her own subconscious? It was hard for her to believe it. No, she could not remain in the same room as Harvey any longer, so she unceremoniously threw her bag on the bed and ran out of her room and the apartment. She kept running down the stairs and out of the building. She ran through the rain, not caring she was getting wetter and wetter by the minute. All she wanted was to get away from Harvey. How could she have known her best friend could be so dangerous? Edna slowed down, eventually halting completely when she had an epiphany. Harvey had always been like that. She was just too blind to see it. It was always him who animated her to do hazardous things, like playing with fire when she was a child or defiling memorabilia. Fortunately, she always refused to do the latter since she was of the opinion that no one has the right to destroy memories, no matter what. Edna sighed and looked around for the first time since running out of the apartment. She had run all the way to the park, to the area with the duck pond – only there were no quacking, waddling fowls at the moment. Realizing her exhaustion from work and from running all the way here, she plopped down on the wet grass. The raindrops kept falling on her to the point that one could assume she jumped in the pond with all her clothes on. It did not matter to her. She was alone after all... or at least she thought she was.  
"'ello, darling. What's a cute girl like you doing here all alone at this time of the night?"  
Edna gave a start upon hearing the voice of a much older man. She stood up and turned around to see a man, old enough to be her father, approaching her. He had a lustful expression on his face, which he tried unsuccessfully to conceal. Edna felt uncomfortable at his stare.  
"Why don't you come with me to my place to warm up?", the man offered to her. She certainly did not like the way he said the last two words. He said them like he had something different in mind. The thought made Edna shudder.  
"No thank you", she replied curtly, starting to leave. However, the man of having none of that. He followed her, grabbing her wrist brusquely.  
"Let me go!", Edna yelled and gave him a good kick in the groin. While he was still wincing in pain, she dashed away from him. All that mattered to her was to get away from him as fast as possible, which was why she did not look where she was going. Thus, she slipped on a puddle and fell forward, giving the man enough time to catch up with her.  
"Come on, you will like it", he pestered her, once again grabbing her wrist.  
"I said no!"  
She tried to get away from him but she was so exhausted from her day she had no strength left. But it did not stop her from fighting, even if it was in vain. There was no way she would go with this old, lecherous man. Over her dead body!  
"Excuse me, but if she doesn't want to go with you, you should leave her alone", a male voice suddenly rang out in the rain. A relieved smile spread out on Edna's face; she recognized the Key Master's voice. A second later, she could see him coming closer and she had never been happier to see him. All her previous fears were forgotten.  
"What do you care?", the old man snapped. The Key Master came closer to him, staring menacingly in his eyes. It was enough for the old man to loosen his grip and to frightfully stare back. Edna seized her chance to wriggle herself out of the man's grip and hid behind her savior.  
"If you don't leave her alone now, I will make sure you will regret it", the Key Master threatened in a low whisper. The old man gulped, stuttering some incoherent words in a high-pitched voice. Then, faster than one could say "Captain Useless", he dashed away. Edna sighed in relief.  
"Thank you."  
The Key Master took off his jacket and put them over Edna's shoulder and then offered her his hand. She took it with an appreciative look on her face.  
"Let's go home, shall we?", the Key Master suggested.  
"Yes."


	8. A New Day

Glad to know you like it, Julayla, and thanks for your review!  
So, today it's been a year since I first opened a Microsoft Word Document and started writing Regrets And Forgiveness. To celebrate, here's there next chappie!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 **A New Day**

The pair, soaked from the rain, hurried from the park to the female's home. Edna was unusually quiet, her eyes were downcast. The Key Master kept glancing at her with concerned eyes. He wondered what caused her to run out in this downpour. Shortly after she had gone to her room, he heard her talking to someone, presumably Harvey, though he could not understand what she was saying. He was startled when she suddenly rushed out, so much he needed a short while to comprehend what happened. The moment his brain caught up with this, he ran after her without much thought, only grabbing his jacket along the way. By the time the Key Master found Edna, he was furious to see an old man not leaving her alone. The only positive thing about this ordeal was that she seemed not to be frightened by him anymore. Still, he felt like he should say something to her to make her feel better.  
"How about I make you a hot drink when we're back in your apartment?", he offered.  
"Hot chocolate would be terrific", Edna replied in a quiet voice. However, a tiny smile appeared on her face.  
It was not long until they arrived at their destination. The television was still running as was the DVD, though it only displayed the main menu. The Key Master turned everything off immediately. No point in using up any more electricity than necessary. He turned around to say something to Edna but could not see her anywhere. Where did she run off to? He doubted she left again; she looked too tired to do that. Perhaps she was getting changed, he figured, and perhaps he should do the same. The Key Master had just come to the conclusion and was starting to grab some dry clothes from his bag when Edna reappeared with two towels in her hand and not wearing his jacket anymore.  
"I hung your jacket over the heater", she answered to his unspoken question while handing him one towel.  
"Thanks. Are our clothes from this afternoon already dry?", the Key Master asked while drying himself off.  
"Almost", the young woman replied, rubbing her hair with the towel she still held in her hands. "I go get changed now."  
She left again for her room, hopefully without the result of her running away again. The Key Master turned his attention back to his bag and took out the large gray shirt he got from Edna on the night of their reunion and a fresh pair of boxers. He changed into them while simultaneously thinking he could need actual pajamas. But this would have to suffice for now. Edna, clad in simple light blue pajamas, returned a second after he finished changing.  
"If you still want hot chocolate, you'd have to show me where you keep the cocoa powder and your mug", the Key Master pointed out.  
"Okee dokee, follow me", she responded and led him to the kitchen. There, she opened a cupboard to get two mugs out, one was blue depicting a frog wearing a crown and calling himself "Prince Charming" and the other was acidic yellow and showed the picture of a duck.  
"This one's mine", Edna told the Key Master, pointing at the frog prince mug. Then she opened another cupboard to get the cocoa powder and a third one to get a pot. Meanwhile, the Key Master took the milk out of the refrigerator and, once he had everything, started making hot chocolate for the both of them. He was glad he got one mug too. Hot chocolate was not exactly his all time favorite hot beverage in the world – this honor went to latte macchiato – he still enjoyed it immensely. Also, it was nice to drink something other than water. He poured the liquid chocolate into the mugs once it was hot enough. Edna was already back in the living room and he joined her there with the chocolate and milk mix.  
"Thanks", she said after she took her mug and after he took a seat next to her. The Key Master absentmindedly watched her taking a sip, thinking about something to say.  
"Sorry I frightened you earlier", he apologized after a few minutes and after drinking a bit from his hot chocolate. Edna shook her head:  
"No, I shouldn't have been so pushy."  
"How could you have known this is a sensitive topic for me? Even I don't quite know why it is that way. But...", the Key Master looked at her with a mix of concern, inquiry and a tiny dash of curiosity, "what made you run off into this rain?"  
Edna averted her eyes, furrowed her eyebrows and her mouth was just a thin line with the corners pointing downward. As if trying to avoid answering him, she drank a big gulp all the while the Key Master watched her. He could see that she knew she could not give any answer forever, so she removed her mug from her lips and took a deep inhale and exhale:  
"I had a huge fight with Harvey."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
Once again, he was met with silence, although it did not seem like she tried to avoid replying. No, this time she had the kind of faraway look in her eyes people have when they were deep in thought. Slowly she raised the mug back to her lips and drank it all up before replying at last:  
"I'm not sure... I want to but I also don't want to..."  
"It must have been some fight, I could hear your raised voice", the Key Master commented. Edna turned her head towards him so quickly she was a momentary blur.  
"What? You could hear me!?"  
She stared at him with a dropped jaw and large, bulgy eyes, which were almost about to pop out. The Key Master drank some of his hot chocolate and leaned back before answering:  
"Yes, I could but I couldn't really understand anything. I could hear your voice, not the words you were saying."  
Edna's face relaxed and she, too, leaned back. If the Key Master was not curious about her fight with Harvey before, he certainly was now. What was it that Edna did not want him to know? It could not be that bad, there were surely worse things.  
"If you want to, you can sleep in my bed", she suddenly spoke up. The Key Master studied her uncertainly.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah", she replied, shrugging. "I've no problem with sleeping on the couch and... I don't wanna be with Harvey in one room any longer than necessary at the moment."  
"But you know you can't sleep on the couch forever. Wouldn't your housemate suspect anything?"  
"Yeah, I need to think of how I'm going to do this", Edna muttered while drawing her knees up to her chest. "That is, if I still don't want to share a room with him. But tonight, I just wanna sleep on the couch."  
"Why don't you just sleep in your housemate's bed if she isn't home?"  
The Key Master wondered about this the moment Edna mentioned she wanted to sleep here. It surely would be more comfortable for her. But Edna shook her head:  
"No, I promised her I wouldn't enter her room without her permission and I'm gonna keep my promise."  
"Ah okay..."  
The Key Master still felt uncomfortable about the thought of letting her sleep on the couch while he slept in a bed. But how could he convince her to change her mind? She could be pretty stubborn, he knew that.  
"And you're absolutely sure about this?", he inquired.  
"Definitely", she replied with a note of finality in her voice. The Key Master sighed and stood up, heading to the kitchen. At the doorway, he stopped and turned around towards her:  
"You could also put Harvey in another room."  
He entered the kitchen and walked towards the sink, where he washed the used mug before putting it back into the cupboard. When he returned to the living room, he found Edna still sitting on the couch, once again deep in thought. Hopefully, his words had some effect on her. After all, why should she be the one to be kept out of her own room and not Harvey? No matter how often he thought or talked about it, it still felt weird to talk about Edna's rag doll rabbit as if it were actually alive. If he thought about it, would the fact that she had a fight with Harvey mean she was having an internal conflict? He had already figured out that Harvey was an extension of Edna's personality, one only she could hear; a case of split personality where the alternate persona had manifested itself in a toy. In any other asylum, she would have gotten psychological help but not in Doctor Marcel's institution, where no one ever got any actual help. It was a miracle nobody thought it was odd to see a young woman with a stuffed rabbit who would fit in the description of a one of the escaped mental patients walking around. But maybe the police had given up on her after all those years – whether Doctor Marcel did too or not was another matter entirely. Shortly after their breakout, the Key Master had stolen the newspaper containing an article with description about several escaped inmates of the local asylum. Over the years, he had irregularly stolen several newspapers; at first, there were mentions of the ongoing search of the escapists until it eventually stopped. He never found out what happened to anyone besides Edna.  
"Oh yes, before I forget it, do you remember how I told you that a friend of mine can give you some her old furniture?", Edna spoke up. She continued after the Key Master confirmed he remembered: "Well, she's coming over tomorrow around one in the afternoon to bring them. We just need to see how we can get them to your hideout. Perhaps by carrying them in the middle of the night?"  
The Key Master raised an eyebrow:  
"The two of us carrying furniture in the middle of the night? It could perhaps work with one piece of furniture or two but not with everything. We'd need several nights and you still have school."  
"Then we only do this on weekends", Edna shrugged as if this was just a minor problem. The Key Master shook his head in disbelief.  
"Anyway, I think you should go to bed", he suggested. Edna narrowed her eyes at him:  
"I told you I don't want to sleep in the same room as Harvey."  
"And I don't want to sleep in your bed", he retorted. "I take the couch."  
"No, I'll take it."  
"No, I will."  
"No, I will."  
This continued on for several minutes, like an endless feedback loop. Neither of them was willing to give up on the couch, which was kind of weird if one thought about it. After all, people normally did not want to sleep on the couch but these two were quite adamant about this.  
"If we keep this up, none of us will get any sleep tonight", the Key Master eventually commented. "We need to compromise... or you simply remove Harvey from your bedroom."  
"I guess you're right... I just didn't want to move because I was getting comfortable on here", Edna replied, to which the Key Master chuckled. "But you know, Harvey really needs to be washed."  
"Then put him in the bathroom and whoever wakes up first has to wash him tomorrow, okay?"  
"Okay", Edna nodded in agreement. Suddenly she jumped up, rushed to her room and out again. With Harvey in her hand, she ran to the bathroom, where she left him. Back in the living room, she grinned in satisfaction.  
"I go to sleep now. There are pillows and blankets in the closet there", Edna said, pointing at the closet in a corner of the room. The Key Master looked in the direction and then back at her with a quiet "okay". Edna approached him and, unexpectedly, hugged him. His eyes widened in shock as he hesitantly put his arms around her. When was the last time anyone had ever held him close on purpose? He could not recall, he could only remember the time he woke up with the arms of a still sleeping Edna around him. Then again, this happened only a week ago and he doubted she did it purposely.  
"Good night and thanks again", she whispered before letting him go. He had only time to respond with a good night of his own before she was gone.

* * *

Edna sat on her bed with one hand over the rapidly beating heart. She did not know what came over her; she suddenly got the urge to hug the Key Master and before she knew it, she did it. What was he going to think about her? Would he hate her? Or would things be awkward between them? Or did he perhaps like it since he reciprocated her hug? Her money was on both "awkward" and "he liked it", even though she was not entirely sure about the latter. But she was certain he would not hate her, she hardly imagined it for some reason. They had gotten so much closer over the week, one little hug could not possibly destroy it. Still, it was funny how close some people could get in a week while others would need years. Edna liked how well she and the Key Master got along but was she really hoping they could be more than friends, like Harvey accused her of? She told her lagomorph toy this was not the case and yet, she was not even sure if this was true. Maybe it was too early to say it for sure. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to be more than friends with the Key Master, she was certain of one thing: she would keep visiting him and be there for her just like he was there for her. Perhaps it was fate that he found her after all those years. He did tell her he was looking for her – even if his original reason was something she did not like – and the probability of him actual finding her was quite slim. Although Edna was at first shocked and a little frightened about seeing him again, she was glad the Key Master was in her life again. If only the same could be said of everyone else who had died because of her... But, a little voice in her head whispered, the Key Master was never dead to begin with. Edna shook her head, mutely telling the voice to stop. She had no desire to sleep with a guilty conscience. She closed her eyes and fell sideways on her mattress, drifting off to the land of dreams.  
She was small and flat; her shape was square, though there was a loop attached to one corner. There was also a duplicate of her. She was a particular nice pair of potholders. The color was dark purple with an image of Harvey sewed on. She was in a small dark room with the only source of light being a single candle on the edge of a table. The candle wobbled a few times until it fell off its firm ground. Edna watched it fall like in slow motion before she and her duplicate moved and caught the candle just a few centimeters above the ground. The flame and the hot wax did not bother her; it felt tepid to the touch, not like they were burning.  
The scene changed to a dark room in a nice cottage, probably a ski lodge. The room was embedded in darkness, with only a chimney fire casting an orange light to its immediate surroundings. The fire crackled and danced happily, with a certainty Edna had never seen in a human being before. She watched mesmerized the flames; she always loved fire. There was something beautiful yet destructive about it. Fire could warm a person up and it was usually an important component for romantic scenarios and yet, it could burn buildings – especially wooden buildings – and forests to the ground. She wanted to touch it, but it would hurt if she would just reach out. Then again, she was a pair of potholders, so who said she would burn? Only one way to find out... she moved towards the flames until she was well inside them. She felt no pain, nothing that would indicate her decreasing mass. It was just pleasantly warm.  
Another scene change. This time she was in outer space, the final frontier. It was a spectacular sight; more stars than she had ever seen in her life, planets so close she could just fly there and explore their surfaces. Maybe she could even paint a giant image of Harvey on the moon – or burn it... She flew around, having problems deciding what to do first. Hm, maybe the Enterprise was around somewhere? Edna was about to search for it when she noticed the sun moving towards the Earth. She could kiss her home planet good bye if she did not stop the sun. There was no time for hesitations, no time to think; she had to act quickly! Not sparing any thoughts for her own safety, she rushed towards the sun, just barely stopping it from moving any closer to Earth. Once the sun was on a standstill, Edna moved it back to its former place... or at least approximately where it was before...  
Yet another change of scenes. This time she was at the foot of the stairs; she looked up to see a boy dressed in blue on top of the stairs. Suddenly the boy fell down the stairs, fear written all over his frog-like face. He would be severely hurt if she did not do something, so she caught him and gently let him down on the floor.  
Edna woke up from her dream the moment the boy's feet touched the ground. This was another dream she used to have in the asylum but she never understood the part with the boy. The other things made sense to her but not the boy. Even though the alignment still did not make sense to her – as the situation was hairy and not fiery – she now knew what the part represented. It represented her desire to actually have done something to save Alfred or to have never had him pushed down the stairs. This thought had kept running around in her head after she did this and her heart had pounded against her chest that it was about to burst out. Edna had enjoyed teasing Alfred but she never wanted to kill him. Even though he was an insufferable moron, he nevertheless did not deserve to die at such a young age. Edna turned on her back with a sigh. Just why did she listen to Harvey?  
"Well... I can't change the past... I should just go back to sleep...", she mumbled to herself and turned back on her side. Then she turned on her other side and back again before lying on her back again. Try as she might, she was unable to go back to sleep. Eventually, Edna gave up and sat up. Her eyes traveled over the still dark room, though light seemed to appear, slowly but surely. She gazed at the watch on her bedside table, noticing it half past four in the morning. Shaking her head at the earliness, she got up and walked over to her desk, where she turned on the lamp. Then she took some sheets of paper and pencils and sat down, starting to draw.

* * *

The rain stopped by the time the sun hung high in the skies. Here and there were still a few gray clouds but it did not look like it was going to rain again. Still, there were signs outside of the previous night's downpour, most notably the puddles. The temperature, while higher than the day before, was also cooler than all the other days of the week. Not that the Key Master would notice this right now, since he was still covered up with a blanket. But this was not for long as he was waking up from his deep sleep. His eyes flickered open, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. It took him a while before he realized he was in Edna's apartment. He looked around the large, bright room with sleepy eyes, wondering why he was here and not in his hideout. The events from last night and the reason for his being here returned to him all at once. Well, while not the most exciting things in the world, they were certainly more exciting than the incidents that happened to him when he usually went to sleep... meaning nothing whatsoever. There was hardly a boring moment with Edna around. Speaking of her, he wondered if she was already awake. He decided to check on her to answer his own question, therefore he stood up and walked to her door, knocking twice.  
"Come in!", was the almost immediate response. The Key Master pressed the door handle down and opened the door. At first, his eyes traveled towards Edna's bed, only to find it empty before he noticed it her sitting at her desk. He stepped closer, finding several sheets of paper, all of them depicting something. Taking a few sheets, he realized the pictures were, for the most part, CD cover design but also things like spaceships, life forms one would expect to see in _Star Trek_ or landscapes as well as a single picture of a frog-faced boy at the foot of a set of stairs.  
"How long have you been awake?", a dumbfounded Key Master asked, staring at Edna, who just shrugged in response:  
"A few hours."  
"Did you even sleep at all tonight?"  
"I did but then I couldn't anymore... Unpleasant dream", she added when the Key Master gave her a piercing look. It changed into one of sympathy when he heard what caused her insomnia. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder, telling her:  
"If you need anyone to talk to, I'm there for you."  
These words obviously had a positive effect on her because she beamed at him. Edna put her pencil down, announcing she needed a break from drawing and mentioning her hunger. Admittedly, the Key Master was hungry too.  
"We've got cereals, how about them?", Edna suggested.  
"Sounds good to me."  
Together, they left Edna's room and headed for the kitchen, where the Key Master took two bowls and spoons while the young woman took the aforementioned type of breakfast and a milk carton. These objects were placed on the table in the living room and Edna turned on the television. While the Key Master filled one bowl for himself, Edna zapped through the channels until she found a show about fraternal twins spending their summer with their great uncle.  
"Ha, this show's good", Edna commented before joining the Key Master at the table and filling her own bowl. He watched the show with interest, needing some time to actually understand what it was about. Perhaps it would be easier for him to understand if he had the chance to see the very first episode. This one was obviously from somewhere in the middle of the season, with the characters celebrating Halloween in summer. The Key Master had heard of Halloween before he ended up in the asylum but did not know anyone who celebrated it, which he was quick to mention after the episode ended.  
"Halloween has actually become quite popular in this country over the years, you know? Not to the extent as in the USA but you will find children in costumes trick-or-treating on Halloween", Edna explained. "We usually buy enough candy for the neighbors' kids when Halloween comes closer with each day... and we eat all of the leftover candies."  
"Funny how much one can miss when they spent many years of their lives locked up. At least you had the chance to catch up but me...", the Key Master fell silent. It bothered him that he knew next to nothing about modern technology and other things that had changed or improved over the years. He was kind of trapped in the late Nineties or early Two Thousands.  
"Hey, if I could catch up, you can too. I will help you. Besides, too many people can't hold a conversation with each other without texting and I think it's great we can talk to each other without the need of cell phones", Edna said in a calming voice.  
"Say, the thing you talked into yesterday, that was a cell phone right?", the Key Master asked. "I haven't seen one for years and even then, I rarely saw one."  
"Yes, it was one, albeit an older model", she replied. She tilted her head and frowned at him. "Have you never seen modern phones?"  
"Well, I can hardly stroll into a store to look at cell phones or ask people if I could borrow their phones", the man retorted.  
"Touché."  
Silence fell over them like a veil as they continued with their breakfast, soon finishing it. They washed their used dishes in the kitchen and put everything back to their respective places. Afterwards, Edna occupied the bathroom for quite some time, though her voice could sometimes be heard through the running water, while the Key Master was sitting on the couch and reading a _Captain Useless_ comic, occasionally glancing towards the bathroom door and wondering what was going on there. About an hour later, Edna reappeared, dressed for the day. In her arms were her pajamas as well as the clothes that were hung up the previous day for drying.  
"Here, take your clothes", she said, holding the heap towards the Key Master.  
"Thank you. By the way, what was going on in there?", he asked while taking his clothes.  
"Oh, I was bathing Harvey. He hates bathing and was screaming like a bratty child, so I had to tell him to shut it, otherwise I will use a broken chair leg on him", Edna grinned. "That shut him up."  
The Key Master chortled.  
"Should you ever have a child, I would hope you won't threaten him or her the same way."  
"Anyway, the bathroom's free now", Edna said quickly, as if she wanted to change the subject. The Key Master, deeming it unimportant to further pursue the subject, put the comic away and went to the bathroom after taking his own hygienic articles from his bag.

* * *

A new morning, another day to keep watch on the loonies. Babbitt hated listening to all the nonsensical gibberish of the patients each day and having Anes, who thought he was better than everybody else, as a colleague did not help matters. Babbitt's only desire was to be a well-known and famous professional mini golf player like his father once was. He did participate in tournaments and was quite well-known, but not like his father used to. Unlike his late father, Babbitt was no famous player, although he held the firm belief he would be one if he did not have to guard the inmates all day long. Why he ever decided to work here, he could not fathom. The only thing he was proud of was the fact that he was one of the few guards Doctor Marcel trusted enough to do additional work for him or to reveal certain things to. The majority of the employees were unaware of what Doctor Marcel was actually doing – they just came to work, do their duty and go home, only wondering from time to time why there are hardly if ever any therapists, except the young one he sometimes called. But this was all they ever did, just wondering and never doing anything. It was better that way; Babbitt knew everyone working here and Doctor Marcel himself would get in trouble with the police if they knew what was really going on. Then again, his employer was in jail for a brief period of time until some unknown individual paid the caution for him.  
"Babbitt! Got a minute?"  
The mini golf enthusiast looked to his right to see René coming up the stairs, carrying a tablet under his arm.  
"What is it, René? I thought you're not supposed to bring your tablet to work anymore", Babbitt inquired.  
"I know", his colleague replied and handed him the tablet. "But look."  
René started a video about a waiter slipping and having the spaghetti he was carrying landing on his head. Babbitt was confused as to why he was showing this to him since he already knew this video. There was nothing new about it and it stopped being funny after the first few times of watching it.  
"And you showed this to me again because...?"  
René paused the video and pointed at a woman in the background.  
"Look, don't you think she bears a str-", he stopped talking and checked behind himself. Babbitt looked in the same direction. He, and presumably René, just heard someone walking close by but as they studied their surroundings, they saw nobody. Not knowing that a young man whose face was concealed by a plastic bag was crouching behind a potted plant, the two guards turned their attention back to the video.  
"Anyway, as I was saying, don't you think this woman there bears a striking resemblance to Edna Konrad?", René continued. Babbitt narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized the young woman. If her hair was hanging lifelessly from her head, she would wear a hospital nightgown and if she were paler, she could definitely be Edna.  
"The similarity is uncanny", he commented. "Have you told Doctor Marcel about this yet?"  
"No, I'm not sure where exactly this is and the video description doesn't give the name of the restaurant", René answered. "All we know is that Edna works in some kind of restaurant somewhere."  
"And that doesn't really help us..."  
Babbitt gave René his tablet back. He turned it off while announcing he was going back to the surveillance room.

* * *

Unaware she was seen in an Internet video, Edna sat on her bed and watched the people and cars several stories below passing the apartment complex. It was still some time until one in the afternoon and she was not sure what to do with herself. She did not really want to stay in her apartment all day long but she was also afraid of missing Anika and her boyfriend. Edna sighed and turned away from the window, letting herself fall on her back. It was actually warm enough to go swimming. Speaking of which... She got up and went over to her laptop, turning it on. Moments later, she was looking at the pictures Tina took when they were at the beach not too long ago. A joyous smile spread across her face as she thought back of the day. They had so much fun to the point she wanted this day to never end. It would be great if she could spend all day and night with her favorite people at the beach. But would that even be possible? Not unless one of them had a private beach...  
"Come in", she answered after hearing the Key Master knocking. She turned her chair around to face him. "Any ideas what we could do today?"  
"Unfortunately no", he replied. Edna watched his eyes travel over to her computer screen and his pale green skin suddenly taking on a light shade of red. Wondering about the change of color in his face, Edna turned around to see what picture was being displayed only to realize in her horror it was the one where she applied sunscreen on her skin. With a shriek, she closed the window.  
"Why, just why did I forget about this one?", she mumbled in exasperation.  
"That's the reason you didn't want me to see them, you were too embarrassed about it", the Key Master commented calmly, albeit still red in the face. Edna went through her hair with her hands and glanced at him:  
"Yeah, that and I thought you would find them boring. It was just me and her having a nice day. But I really wouldn't mind another day like this. Hopefully without her taking a photo of me wearing a bikini."  
"Well, it's not like you have to show the whole world this picture", the Key Master pointed out. Edna gave him a simple non-verbal answer by nodding. Her guest went on: "Do you have a plan of what we could do?"  
"W-well, I... I do have a suggestion", she replied, nervously fidgeting her fingers. A sheepish smile appeared on her face. "I'd like to go swimming, it's warm enough." Her smile disappeared. "But I also don't want to miss Anika when she comes with your furniture."  
"Perhaps there's something else you could do? Like watching a movie or doing your homework?"  
"Or we could buy you some clothes. Mattis's clothes don't look like they fit you comfortably", Edna suggested. "Mattis is my father", she added when the Key Master shot her a confused stare.  
"You call your father by his first name?"  
"Yes, I do", Edna shrugged as if calling a parent by their first name was the most common thing in the world. "Anyway, you have to accompany me. I need to know if the garments fit."  
The Key Master regarded her with an unreadable expression on his face. Edna wondered if she said something wrong and if he would get mad at her as a result. Fortunately, she had nothing to fear.  
"Alright", the man replied tonelessly. "I can't risk you buying clothes that are several sizes too small or large or that look horrible."  
"Thanks for your confidence in me", Edna replied, giving his shoulder a light punch. "Next time, you're also going to look for a hideout on your own."  
"I did before we saw each other again", the Key Master pointed out. "Some cave, not too far from a convent school. Somebody probably used it as a hideout before."  
"Hang on; were there a sleeping bag, a telescope and two crates among other things? And were there several candles attached on the walls?", Edna inquired with furrowed brows.  
"Yes. How do you know that?", he replied, obviously confused.  
"I used it as a hideout before!", Edna exclaimed. "That's where I spent my first night outside the asylum!" She chuckled, shaking her head. "Who would have thought the same place I used to hide from the police and Doctor Marcel's minions would later become your hideout? Funny coincidence."  
"So, everything in there was your stuff...", the Key Master concluded.  
"Well, not everything. Some things, like the sleeping bag or the telescope or the tools in the crates are from my house. But I found the bean bag chair on the bulk garbage and I stole the candles from the convent school."  
She grinned cheekily. It was long, tedious work to make her former hideout comfortable, involving nights of sneaking into her own house or through the village. She was never caught by anyone in the convent school, though there were a couple of close calls. Perhaps it was senseless to make a hiding place comfortable if she was already in the convent school but she wanted to make sure she had an alternative just in case.  
"Actually, I wanted to travel there today ", Edna told the Key Master. "But Tina had no time to give me a lift. We're probably gonna go there next week."  
"Why are you planning to go there?"  
"Oh, I just thought you could use some of my stuff, like the tools."  
Edna turned back to her laptop and turned it off, addressing the Key Master again:  
"Anyway, ready for some new clothes?"

* * *

The house neighboring Edna's childhood home was the abode of Horatio Marcel, where he once raised Alfred... and hid his second son in the basement. Despite the fact that his model son was dead for more than a decade, he had kept the room the way it, albeit with minor differences. Alfred's ant farm contained no life anymore and some of his personal belongings – a couple of toys and his baby teeth – were all kept in his shrine in the mental institution. Once a week, Doctor Marcel, who was currently in his study, would enter his deceased son's room to clean it but ever since he was bound on a wheelchair, he had to rely on his driver doing this for him. Doctor Marcel still tried to do things on his own, yet he needed help to do certain things. Fortunately, his driver lived right across the street and could be there for him in less than two minutes. His still living son might also be able to assist him but Doctor Marcel refused his help. In fact, he forced Ruben to live in the basement of his establishment and the doctor knew his son made it a habit of sneaking around upstairs. He was also aware that some of the employees thought they saw Ruben only for him to be gone when they wanted to take a closer look. Thus, he earned the nickname "Phantom" by everyone in the asylum. Doctor Marcel was less than pleased about Ruben's antics since he did not want everybody to know he had another son aside from Alfred. He was still embarrassed that his character correction did not work on one of his own children; it was just as bad, if not even worse, than his inability to rewrite Edna's character. He hated his failure on those two and hid it from everyone, except his most trusted lackeys and even then, it was only in case of the girl. None of them knew of Ruben and Doctor Marcel would like it to remain so.  
Anyway, it was time for him to return to his mental institution, so he turned off his computer and took the files he was printing until a minute ago. Doctor Marcel preferred to do his paperwork at home, where no one would bother him and where he had his peace and quiet. It could get exceptionally noisy in his institution. Immediately after finishing his paperwork, he would return to the asylum and file them in the archives. However, there were some files he kept copies of at home, the majority of them being about Edna and the others about his rather illegal therapy methods – like electroshock therapy when it was not necessary, prescribing wrong medications, or forcing them to produce objects that would harm other patients. He should perhaps destroy these files stored in his asylum, yet he did not see why he should do this. It was not like the authorities would ever read them. Besides, about eighty percent of the files in the archives are patient records. Placing the newly printed documents in his suitcase, he rolled towards the entrance door, where his driver was waiting for him. The disabled man took a brief moment to glare at the neighboring house with his single eye while heading towards limousine. His driver helped him in before taking his place at the wheel.  
The drive was quiet, as always. Doctor Marcel did not heed the passing streets and landscape; he knew it was always the same, even if he saw them with just one eye. Besides, if there was a mentally ill person out and about, he would know it sooner or later. His asylum was the only one in miles around, which was why the probability of loonies ending up in his institution was quite high. The police had tried to relocate his patients the brief time he was in jail but only managed to succeed with one or two before Ruben bailed him out. This was about the only time his good for nothing son proved himself to be as useful. Still, he noticed that Ruben reported to him from time to time about the on-goings of the asylum before any of his employees did. Well, if the boy hoped to be recognized as a true son of Doctor Horatio Marcel he should find Edna for him and bring her to him. Maybe then Ruben would get his father's recognition and pride.

* * *

The Key Master and Edna sat in the bus on their way to the _Boutique de Vêtement_. At first, the former was unsure about using the bus but after noticing that no one paid him any heed, he relaxed. As long as he kept quiet and did not draw any attention to himself, he was safe. Edna had taken his hand in reassurance when he showed signs of uncertainty and had not let go since then. One part of him felt embarrassed – people might think they were a couple for Pete's sake – but another part of him did not really mind this. It actually felt pleasant.  
"I would suggest we only buy summer garments for you and whatever you are going to need", Edna whispered so low only the Key Master could hear her. "We can buy you clothes for other seasons when the time approaches."  
The man indicated with a slight movement of his head he agreed with her plan. His wheels were busy turning as he thought of what he was going to need. Obviously light clothes but also at least one sweater or a jacket – or both – for cooler days. Well, he would see when they arrived at the boutique.  
"Our stop's coming up", Edna whispered. The bus slowed down until it came to a complete stop. The Key Master, Edna, a young woman, an old man and a small family got out of the public transportation. Edna led her companion down the street until they reached a store. The sign above the double door read in royal blue letters _Boutique de Vêtement – Clothes For All Occasions_. Dummies in elegant clothing, as if one was on the red carpet, were displayed in the windows. The Key Master stared at Edna in doubt:  
"Are you sure this is the right place? We're here for everyday clothes and not because we're invited to a movie premiere."  
"Well, it's not only formal clothing they sell, despite what the store windows might tell you", Edna explained. "But it's really for all occasions, like the sign says. It's the best place to buy clothes... well, at least it is the closest from my apartment."  
"Isn't there anything closer?"  
"Well, there are but those are just examples of bad workmanship and over expensive prices. This one's here the complete opposite."  
The Key Master looked back at the store, still unsure whether this was a good idea.  
"I'm going to trust you on that...", he relented, entering the store with her. He and Edna walked over to the nearby map to see where the department for men's clothing was stored. It was on the next floor.  
"This way", Edna spoke, leading the Key Master to the escalators. The pale green man took in his surroundings, noticing two things. One, this had to be the largest clothing store he had ever seen, with garments ranging from leisure suits over casual to elegant, and two, the majority of the shoppers here were women, ranging from around Edna's age to old enough to be a grandmother. No surprise there, he supposed, since women loved shopping, though he never understood why. Another thing he never understood about women was that they have their closets full of clothes and yet claim they have nothing to wear. Well, he would understand it if the woman used to be overweight and was several sizes smaller or the other way around. Women were a complicated subspecies of the Homo sapiens.  
"How about we split up and look for something for you? We could meet at the cabinets in ten minutes", Edna suggested after reaching their destination, pointing towards the changing cabinets on the other end of the department.  
"Fine by me", the Key Master agreed. He walked to the left, but not before telling Edna his size, and she walked to the right. A wide variety of clothes revealed itself to him as he kept walking. If he found something that looked good, he took it and checked it out before deciding whether he wanted to try it on or not. Soon, he had several shirts of various colors, new pants and three jackets in his arms. Edna, who met him at the cabinets as per agreement, found some new pairs of pants too as well as two sweaters and socks. The Key Master took everything but the socks and tried them on leaving the cabinet to hear what Edna had to say about each individual piece.  
"Anything else you could need?", the female former patient of a mental institution asked after he tried the last piece of clothing on.  
"I'm in need of underwear", he replied almost immediately. Edna's cheek took on a light shade of red.  
"How about you pick out underwear for yourself while I just stroll around and check out the wares around here?", she proposed, talking rather quickly. Sensing it was awkward for her, he agreed with her suggestion. Fortunately, he had also memorized the locations of other departments while they were looking at the map earlier and knew where he had to go. The Key Master muttered "see you'" to Edna, who still appeared quite flustered, and left for the department with the underwear, which happened to be on the same floor. He found the department quickly and had his stuff in less than five minutes. Then he went up the escalator to where beach fashion was kept. Ever since Edna mentioned her desire to go swimming earlier, he had thought about getting swimming trunks for himself. The pond at his hideout was big enough to go swimming in and he had no desire to swim naked in case Edna would suddenly visit him. No, he wanted to spare her the scare. She was still naïve about things like sexuality and being confronted unexpectedly by a nude male body might traumatize her. That, and he had his doubts she wanted to see him in his birthday suit.  
A few minutes later, the Key Master went back to where he last saw Edna. She stood a little away from the escalators, talking to a boy, who was a couple of years her junior. The Key Master pondered what they were talking about before deciding to conceal himself behind a potted plant close to these two.  
"And have you decided if you want to join us?", the boy asked, sounding like he was trying not to come across as too eager.  
"Look Sebastian, I'm not really sure if I want to come along at all", Edna replied. "Maybe you should ask Bianca. I'm sure she'd be interested."  
The Key Master was confused. What were they talking about? Who was this boy? And why did he want Edna to join to... wherever he wanted her to come along to?  
"Well alright. But I want your definite answer a week before we go on vacation at the latest", the boy, Sebastian, asked of Edna, who nodded and replied with a quick "okay". The boy left then, waving her good bye. She waved back, gazing after him and thus not noticing the Key Master emerging from his hiding place and appearing behind her.  
"Who was that?", he asked, making Edna jump. She wheeled around, the scared expression on her face relaxing when she spotted him.  
"Oh, it's you", she said with relief. "Where did you come from?"  
"I was behind the potted plant", he replied, pointing at the decorative plant behind him. Edna looked at it and then back at him, raising her eyebrows.  
"You were spying on me from behind a plant? Should I be worried about you?"  
It was only after she asked her questions when he realized how ludicrous he was acting. He hoped she would not take it the wrong way. Even he did not know why he behaved like this.  
"Who was this boy?", he repeated his earlier question, avoiding Edna's completely. She narrowed her eyes at him for a short moment before she decided to give him a reply:  
"His name's Sebastian. He's a classmate of mine."  
"Ah, I see. And what was he talking about? Something about you coming along to somewhere..."  
"Oh that", Edna tugged a strand of hair behind her ear and gave the Key Master his new clothes she had with her while he was looking for underwear. "He invited me to come along on his family vacation to France in a few weeks."  
For some reason, the Key Master did not like the sound of her going on vacation with another male, even if it was someone much younger than her. In fact, he felt rage surging through his every being. He clenched his fist. He could not explain why he had any emotions like this. It was, after all, her own choice if she wanted to come along; she was an adult and could make decisions on her own. He had no right to tell her what she should and should not do. Still, the prospect of her being away from him for a while did not suit him. Edna tilted her head, confusion written all over her face:  
"Are you not feeling well? You're so green... Um, greener than usual."  
"No, I'm quite alright", the Key Master replied with forced calmness. Edna frowned at him. He unclenched his fist and put on a smile, although he had a feeling it was more of a grimace. "Seriously, I'm fine. Come on, let's go home."  
Edna rolled her eyes and sighed but did not disagree. They left the boutique after paying and walked back to the bus stop. The Key Master sat down on the bench while his female companion studied the timetable.  
"Well, the next bus is coming in twenty minutes", she told him, sitting down on the bench.  
"Ah yes", he acknowledged. Suddenly, he looked at her questioningly: "This boy from earlier, you said he was a classmate, right?"  
"Um yes", she replied slowly and puzzled. "Why do you ask?"  
"I'm just confused, he is much younger than you", the Key Master explained. "Like you're attending a normal public school."  
"Well, I do", Edna replied and, without waiting for any kind of response, she went on: "I've been lacking school education from third or fourth grade on. Even the things I learned in the previous years were all but gone, although the memory returned over time. By the time I moved in with Tina, I had the education of an elementary student and whatever I learned in convent school, along with other things I picked up in books."  
"Wait... you were in the asylum since you were a child yet you still know terminologies and words no kid should know and can even use them correctly?"  
The Key Master stared open-mouthed at her. Edna grinned modestly.  
"Well, the boy I had to play with in my childhood used such terminologies. So, I learned these and other random things to keep up with him. But he was still always better than me in school. Funnily enough, I remembered everything I taught to myself faster than even my own name. After I got another one of my regular treatment from Doctor Marcel, that is."  
She paused for a moment to take a short breather. The Key Master stared at her, clearly impressed. He regretted ever belittling her back in the asylum; she might be a little crazy but she was still more knowledgeable than most people he knew despite her treatments from Doctor Marcel, if this was what he thought it was. Admittedly, that was one of the things he liked about her.  
"Anyway, Gerret – a policeman who helped me out a few years ago – has a sister, who is a school teacher. She gave me private lessons every weekend until I was on the basis of a seventh grader. Then started to attend school from seventh grade onwards. Only the principal and teachers know why someone in my age still had no graduation."  
"And how long do you still have to attend school?"  
"When this school year's over, I have only one year left."  
So, by this time next year, she would be taking her oral exams. The Key Master wondered whether he would still be around or if he had already fled the country. He hoped he would still be here and maybe even help her with her studies, like he did with her test on _Faust_. Even if it was too early to judge it, he was certain she would do great on her final exams, receive her graduation and go on the graduation ball. Speaking of the latter, he suddenly pondered whether he ought to ask her if he could come along to the ball or not. Why he was suddenly thinking about this, he did not know. It was just that he had the desire to accompany her in a year when the time comes. But, who said he would still be here? Would she even want him to come along? Perhaps he should stop thinking about this; it was still a long time until then. He would just have to wait and see.  
"There's the bus", Edna's voice pulled the Key Master out of his reverie. He stood up and took his bags, with Edna also taking some of them, while the bus was slowing down and came to a halt. The doors opened and both former mental patients entered the public transportation vehicle. Edna told the bus driver where they needed to go to and paid for their tickets. They went to the back of the bus, taking their seats at the far end.

* * *

Life in the recreation room continued on as normal... No, that was a lie in most cases. A few days ago, Anes and Hulgor had come to them and took four patients away. These four were not seen again and though there was a collective feeling of confusion, most went on with their life as usual. Only a few were still discussing the issue, speculating why they were taken away, which ranged from being declared mentally healthy to being brought to sole confinement. The latter theory was discarded almost immediately since none of the four patients was really dangerous. In fact, they were probably among the most harmless one could imagine.  
"Do you think we will ever see them again?", Petra asked. She, Professor Nock, Drogglejug and the Beeman were sitting – or standing in case of Drogglejug – in front of King Adrian's cushion fortress, once again speculating about the disappearance of their inmates. Her mood had turned from generally happy to saddened, since one of the four was Peter. The others were Bruce Broker, the Washing Maniac and Tiger Head – a never talking girl who wore a stuffed tiger on her head that defied gravity by never falling off.  
"Drogglejug!"  
Oh don't be so pessimistic, Droggie! I'm sure Doctor Marcel won't execute them!", Petra replied to Drogglejug's response.  
"Not unless Doctor Marcel's madness has taken up to new levels", the Beeman piped up. When his three conversational partners stared at him, he continued: "Let's be honest here, the doctor has never been the most rational person. He's too focused on finding just one girl who once broke out and even before that, he spent too much time with his attempts of his special therapy on her. And if he was not too occupied with her, he refined his character correction method."  
"You've got a point there, Beeman", Petra agreed. "But I still don't see why he would want to execute us."  
"Well, it would be easier for him to stage an accident that would lead to our apparent deaths than to let us have the required therapy for a mental recovery."  
Silence fell over Petra, Drogglejug and Professor Nock as they glanced at each other in uncertainty and fear. No one liked the prospect of having their lives ended just because they were not the sanest people in the world. They were not dangerous, only crazy.  
"If only my sample of dino DNA had not been taken away. I was so close to clone an army of dinosaurs!", Professor Nock lamented. "What a pity..."  
No one ever bothered to enlighten him that his sample of dinosaur DNA was, in fact, not a mosquito embedded in ember but a fly in earwax. Then again, there was doubt among both the patients and the employees that Professor Nock would believe them. All they each could hope for was that the Beeman's theory was completely wrong.

* * *

"There, that's it. Are you sure we shouldn't go to your friend's place instead of storing the furniture in the basement?"  
Anika and her boyfriend Gregor had arrived with the interior one and a half hours earlier than announced. Fortunately, they called Edna on her phone, and she was kind of glad about this. After her friends' arrival, they spent an hour getting everything in the basement, on Edna's insistence.  
"A hundred percent sure", the purple haired woman replied.  
"Alrighty", Anika nodded although she did not sound convinced. "Oh, send my regards to Tina and tell her it would be great if we girls could hang out together some time soon."  
"Will do."  
"And don't forget to introduce your friend to us", Gregor requested. If there was one fictional character he could dress up as, it was Severus Snape from the _Harry Potter_ books. He looked just like the famous Potions teacher if the character were in his mid twenties, would wash his hair and be generally in a better mood than depicted in the books.  
"Um okay", Edna's voice had a hint of uncertainty as she replied but it seemed to be enough for both Gregor and Anika. With one last wave, they climbed back into the young man's truck and drove off. Edna gazed after them until the truck was out of sight, then she returned to her apartment. She found the Key Master in the kitchen, preparing lunch.  
"Welcome back", he greeted her upon noticing her entering the kitchen. Edna nodded in acknowledgement, glancing alternatively at the Key Master, at the frying pan and at the pots.  
"Um, what's for lunch?"  
"I found you still had Schnitzels in the fridge, so I thought I'd make them for the both us", the Key Master replied, indicating at the pan. "And in here", he pointed at the pots, "are potatoes and sauce."  
"Quite the menu you're cooking there", Edna commented with a smirk. "It's amazing you didn't unlearn how to cook after so many years of not living a normal life... Unless you broke into houses and secretly cooked from time to time."  
"I did break into houses, but only for my personal hygiene... and to occasionally steal food", the Key Master responded while flipping over the Schnitzels. "Well, and once or twice to steal new clothes."  
He looked like he wanted to add something further but if this was the case, then he chose not to voice it. Somehow, though, Edna had a feeling what he wanted to say. If she was not mistaken, he mentioned he killed a few people over the years before stopping. Did he break into houses just to kill innocent human beings? It was amazing he was actually able to force himself to stop doing this. Edna wondered how hard it must have been for him.  
"My friends asked me to meet you some time", she mentioned, while leaning against the refrigerator. "Do you think it would be possible?"  
She received no reply from the Key Master for a long time. He busied himself with the preparation of lunch. But he seemed to sense Edna's penetrating eyes on him, so he sighed and turned to look at her.  
"I don't know yet. Maybe yes, maybe no."  
This was perhaps the best Edna could hope for. She could hardly blame him for his aversion of going among other people since he stated his reason. There were often times when she felt the same regarding herself, seeing she had kind of the same background as him. Well, the part with being inmates of an asylum and having murdered at least one person was the same; the circumstances of how they were brought into the mental institution could be vastly different for all she knew. Anyway, Edna often wondered if people would recognize her as the escaped patient and call Doctor Marcel to get her back there. She wanted to give the asylum a wide berth for the rest of her life; nothing could make her return there. Even if she was not sane at all, and she believed she was sane, she would rather go to an asylum where she would not be subjected to constant memory erasure.  
"Edna, you mentioned earlier you wanted to go swimming... Where exactly did you want to go swimming to?", the Key Master questioned, pulling her out of her reverie.  
"Well, there's a public swimming pool around here but I prefer natural bodies of water or at least unchlorinated waters", Edna responded. "Why do you ask?"  
"I just thought we could actually go for a swim this afternoon."  
"Sounds good to me."  
It had gotten hotter and hotter since morning, so a dip in the cooling waters would be just marvelous for Edna. Still, she had had no idea how the Key Master wanted to swim, unless he also bought swimming trunks earlier in the boutique. She hoped he did. Suddenly feeling thirsty, Edna went to a cabinet to get a glass, which she filled with apple juice and drank it in one go.  
"Perhaps we could go swimming in the pond at your hideout. At least it's natural water", Edna proposed. "By the way, how long until lunch is ready?"  
The Key Master checked the potatoes before replying:  
"It will still be a while. I'll call you, alright?"  
"Alright. I go in my room meanwhile and surf the Internet for a while."  
Edna left the kitchen, carrying the glass and the bottle of apple juice. Back in her room, she sat in front of her laptop and turned it on while refilling her glass. Holding the glass in one hand and taking a sip from it, she clicked the Internet icon and the Internet window sprang up a split second later. She opened Google and, after remembering the conversation about names she had with the Key Master, typed in 'Edna meaning' in the search bar. The search results popped up on the screen and Edna, after skimming through them, opened some of the links in new tabs. She read through the links she opened, finding out that her name came from Hebrew and mean 'pleasure' and 'delight'. She had actually hoped it would mean something like 'most awesome person on planet' or 'cool girl' but this was not so bad either. Also, one site mentioned that Edna in Celtic meant 'fire' and this happened to be her favorite element.  
"Not bad", she commented with a smirk. She liked the results, even if they were not what she hoped they would be. At least her old-fashioned name did not have an embarrassing meaning, like 'sock' or 'pig'. Were there even names that meant 'sock' or 'pig'? Oh well, it did not really matter to her, unless she had to name something, like a pet. But it was unlikely she and Tina would get a pet for the time being.  
"Edna, lunch is ready", she heard the Key Master call from the other side of her door.  
"Coming!", she called back, closed the Internet window and turned her laptop off. Then she took her glass and the bottle and left her room. The table was already set and the Key Master had already taken a seat. His plate was already filled with potatoes and a Schnitzel. Edna filled her own plate while he added sauce to his portion. He gave Edna the ladle when he was done. She also added sauce to her portion before they started eating.

* * *

After they finished lunch and cleaned the used utensils, they left the apartment and went to the Key Master's place, each of them carrying a bag. Edna had not told him about her findings yet. Of course, he did not know what she was doing on the Internet and had not asked her. He was sure she would tell him on her own if she thought it was important and even she did not want to tell him, she would say so. That was how she always behaved towards him, although he could not deny he would like to know what kinds of things she was not telling him. The Key Master often pondered what secrets she had; he even just wanted to outright ask her. He glanced at her as she was walking right next to him. As if sensing his eyes on her, she reciprocated his look and smiled at him.  
"Is something the matter?", she asked. The Key Master shook his head:  
"No, not really. Well, except, I think I'd like to know what you were surfing the Internet for."  
"Oh...", Edna blinked twice. "I was searching for the meaning of my name..." She swatted a mosquito away. "It comes from Hebrew and means 'pleasure' and 'delight', if you would like to know."  
The Key Master acknowledged her reply with a nod and by mumbling "ah yes". He guessed she got a little interested in name meanings following their short conversation about names. He had to admit he was curious what his name meant. That was if only he could recall his name. Hopefully it was not some stupid name, like Peter or Friedrich or Detlef. Who under the age of fifty would be named like this?


	9. Edna's Weekend

Thank you so much for your review, Rhytia. I'm so glad you enjoy my story.  
Yeah, I read those fanfictions where Edna and the Key Master meet shortly after the events of _The Breakout_ and I thought why not a few years later. I mean, he could have gone simply in the wrong direction after waking up in the church instead of randomly finding her hiding out in the forest or wherever.  
No worries, English isn't my native language either and I looked into your profile. Hallo, mein Nachbar aus der südlcihen Himmelsrichtung!

Well, here's the next chapter. Hope you like.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 **Edna's Weekend**

In Edna's former cell sat four people, three men and a woman, working on tiny darts. They were all unexpectedly brought here a few days ago. Since then, they had not left the cell and had been working almost nonstop on the darts. Only once a day, they were permitted to eat and drink and use the bathroom facilities. Each one of them was tired; they did not even know why they had to embed these darts with some kind of chemical, like Anes instructed them to.  
"How long do you reckon we have to do his until we can return to the others?", the Washing Maniac suddenly asked. His tanned skin was getting paler and paler by the day, or at least that was the other three thought they saw.  
"I don't know if or when we will escape from this excruciatingly dull task", Peter depressingly replied. "We might as well do this until the end of our pathetic lives... OW!"  
Tiger Head had kicked him while he was talking and looked at him reproachfully. The Washing Maniac chuckled at this. The little panel behind the grate of the door slid open and Babbitt's voice rang out:  
"What's going on in there?"  
"Nothing! Everything's peachy keen", the Washing Maniac called back in a singsong voice.  
"Then do your task and be quiet!", Babbitt retorted and slid the panel back to its place. Tiger Head rolled her eyes and shook her head. They all agreed that Babbitt was annoying, though their dislike towards him was not as great as towards Anes. It was, after all, him who forced them to do this. Regarding his treatment of patients, he could be a relative of Doctor Marcel. If he were, it would explain why the doctor tolerated everything Anes did then. Not that the patients were even aware of everything he did. They might be able to get to other floors with the laundry lift system – unless they were locked in a cell – but this did not mean they were knew of every single detail in this asylum. If they happen to hear something, which was quite likely since most guards were as bad, if not even worse than gossiping middle-aged women, they would tell the others about it. This was a good way to be a little more informative about the asylum and to speculate if they only knew bits and pieces.

* * *

The golden sun shone brightly upon the lush green grass and the tall trees, warming everything the ray of light touched. The pond looked cool and inviting, as if it was not just a simple dug up hole with a tiny tributary river leading to the actual river. Close to the water was a giant beach towel, upon which the Key Master sat, clad only in a pair of navy blue swimming trunks. Edna had placed the beach towel there right after they arrived at the hideout before going inside to change in the bathroom. The Key Master had changed in the main room but Edna had not reappeared yet. He wondered what took her so long; it could not take a woman more than ten minutes to get undressed and change into a bikini – unless she was wearing layers and layers of clothing, which he doubted in Edna's case. The door opened at last and Edna stepped out, wearing only her purple bikini. She walked over to the beach towel and sat next to the Key Master, who was busy admiring her... and now probably planning to kill the author since she referred to the way he was gawking at her as "admiring". It seemed that Edna tried to ignore his stare but it was apparent she felt his eyes on her body, as indicated by her blush. She took a bottle of sunscreen and applied it to every centimeter of her skin she could reach.  
"Could you do my back, please?", she requested, holding out the sunscreen towards the Key Master. He took it and squished some on his hand while Edna was turning her back towards him and moving her hair out of the way. Suddenly feeling awkward about touching her bare skin – since every other time he touched her was either her hand or was covered by her clothes – he applied her sunscreen.  
"Thanks", she smiled at him while moving her hair back over her shoulder. "I can do your back. Well, there's no one else here who could do this, unless you're an exceptionally good acrobat."  
"Since I never dreamed of a career in a circus, I have to disappoint you in this case", the Key Master retorted with an arched eyebrow and half a grin while applying his own body with the sunscreen. Like Edna offered, she helped him with his back.  
"You know, we never finished our game of twenty questions", she suddenly pointed out. Wondering why she thought of that as if only an hour had passed instead of a day, the Key Master stared at her. He had actually completely forgotten about it and could not, in fact, remember whose turn it was to ask a question or how many each had asked so far. He was quick to tell her this, also adding:  
"But feel free to ask a question or more."  
"Well, there's something that occurred to me on our way here", Edna started, shifting a little to get into a more comfortable position. "You knew things about Doctor Marcel's asylum I didn't even know of despite you having been held in solitary confinement. You knew about King Adrian, how I could get clay, about Doctor Marcel's trophies and about me. How did you know all of this?"  
"That is kind of a loaded question, Princess. I'm not sure I can even remember how I knew all this but let me try to recall my memories", the Key Master answered, looking up to the skies above. He heard Edna changing her sitting position and her letting out a relaxed sigh. A brief glance told him she lay down on her back, also looking up to the endless azure sky. The Key Master closed his eyes in an attempt to visualize his memories. It seemed to work because he saw a younger version of himself – approximately seventeen years old – in an office. His skin complexion was much healthier, he was even a little tanned. There was no beard in his face and his brown hair was cropped short. His back was turned to a fireplace; a few photos are displayed on the mantelpiece and an article of an old issue of the local newspaper hang on the wall above the fireplace. If he were to look to his left, he would see a diploma on the wall and above it a collection of trophies, made of genuine gold, behind safety glass. Straight ahead of him was the view out of the window, showing a spectacular view of the landscape surrounding the village on a fine summer day, not unlike the one in the present. Tilting his head slightly down, he saw Doctor Marcel sitting behind his desk. This was when the memory ended and the Key Master was back in present day. He moved his hand to his forehead and frowned at the lavender colored beach towel while one question floated through his mind. Just what the hell was he doing in Doctor Marcel's office? It did not look like he was a patient yet; it looked actually more like a job interview... The Key Master thought of the possibility of having worked there as an intern or, alternatively, having a summer job there once. Why he ever wanted to work there, he could not tell; perhaps it was the only post available at the time. He tried to remember some more... It was around this time he started to go to driving school. Of course! He was already saving up money so he would be able to afford a car when he has the license and there was an offer for a summer job in the archives to sort files and documents. The memory of how boring the job was returned to him as well as the memory of how he would sometimes walk around the halls during lunch breaks. Well, at least he had earned some money, it could have been worse. But this would perhaps explain how he knew of the asylum's layout, the clayey soil the building was constructed on, and of Doctor Marcel's trophies. Still did not explain how he knew of King Adrian and his gold medal or Doctor Marcel's obsession with Edna. The Key Master's gaze fell upon the young woman lying next to him. He wondered if he ever met her during the few weeks he was working in the institution. As if feeling his stare, Edna eyed him with curiosity.  
"What is it? Is there something on my face? Or do you just like my body?"  
Her cheeks were tinted pink while she asked the last question but her expression remained the same. The Key Master wondered how often she blushed on a daily basis.  
"While I can't deny you have a nice body –" Edna's cheeks turned from pink to red and he asked himself why he just said that "– I was thinking about something else."  
Edna sat up and turned her every being towards the Key Master, looking at him with great interest.  
"What were you thinking about?"  
"Whether we ever actually met, long before our successful breakout", the Key Master replied. After noticing Edna's confused look, he added: "I remembered I once had a summer job at the asylum."  
"You... you had a summer job there once!?", Edna repeated, barely managing to get the words out. She put on a thoughtful face and continued: "That explains how you knew some things despite having been in solitary confinement."  
"You didn't happen to have tried to escape and happened upon me, did you?", the pale green man wondered aloud.  
"I'm afraid I can't remember unless you tell me the dates you worked there and even then, I don't know if I can tell whether I saw you or not."  
"It must have been the late Nineties, I was old enough to attend driving school" the Key Master told her. He watched Edna as she tried to recall her memory; she closed her eyes, scratched her chin and even stood up and walked around in circles. Eventually, she sat back down and shook her head:  
"Nope, can't remember. Perhaps I would if you've been green-skinned back then but I highly doubt it. Doesn't help that not all of my memories have returned yet."  
"Yeah... if only we hadn't lost our memories...", the Key Master sighed and stood up. He walked to the pond and jumped in, with Edna joining him a minute later. The cool water felt great in this heat, it was just what he needed. It had been too long since the last time he was swimming like a fish. There were some things one could not forget and swimming was one of them but he had forgotten how enjoyable it was too be in cool water on a hot summer day.  
"It's great, isn't it?", Edna beamed, moving her wet hair out of her face.  
"Yes, it is", he agreed with her, though his voice sounded anything but enthusiastic. He was still thinking of the brief time he worked for Doctor Marcel. It just felt wrong, like he was once a member of an evil empire. For all he knew, he might still be working for him if he had never ended up in there as a patient. Then again, his job in the archives was dreadfully dull, so he doubted he would have wanted to work there. If anything, he always had the desire to do satisfying work, something he knew he did something at the end of the day. The Key Master could only imagine himself doing manual work, perhaps even something that involved creativity. His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a small wave of cold water hitting his face.  
"Hey!", he exclaimed while Edna was laughing out loud. His eyes glinting at her, he swam towards her and she tried to escape. The way they swam in circles, with him chasing her, had reminiscences of cat and mouse. It seemed like it would go on and on until the Key Master dove under the surface. Edna stopped swimming and looked around, calling out for him:  
"Key Mas- AH!"  
During the short time he was under the water, he had come closer, so that he was just centimeters away from her. When she began to call his nickname, he resurfaced and grabbed her around the waist. After her initial shock had subdued, her joyous laughing filled his ears.  
"Y-you got me... ha ha ha! I... I... hee hee... give uhahahap! Let me... hee hee... go!", she gasped between her laughter. The Key Master pretended to think about this.  
"Hm no, I think I'm holding you captive for a little longer", he smirked. Even though he would never admit it to himself, he actually liked holding her. It had been so long since he held a person in his arms he forgot how it felt... like home. Edna did not seem to mind it. Quite the opposite actually; she turned around in his arms so that she was actually facing him and placed her hands on his shoulders.  
"Are you holding me captive now?", the young woman grinned.  
"What would you do if I confirm it?", he answered her question the one of his own. She shrugged.  
"Dunno."  
"You won't try to hurt me, will you?", the Key Master's face came closer. Edna gazed at him with mesmerized eyes.  
"No, I couldn't forgive myself if I did", she said in a low voice, also coming closer.  
"Then yes, I am holding you captive... but only if you don't mind..."  
He was only a few centimeters away from her.  
"Somehow, I don't mind it..."  
Their foreheads were now touching but it seemed they were still coming closer. Neither of them seemed to realize this, they were lost in their own little world. The Key Master's heart pounded so fast and loudly, he would have wondered if Edna could hear it if his thoughts were not clouded. Their lips were only separated by a few mere millimeters when they realized what they were about to do. They jumped apart, their faces as red as a ripe tomato. What was the matter with him? Why did he almost force himself upon her? It was not like him to act so irrational – unless it involved doing someone in, but that thought had never crossed his mind all day long. He dared to take a good look at her. She had a hand placed over her heart, probably to calm it down, and she had her eyes closed. Her breathing was heavy and slightly irregular. She moved her other hand slowly to her lips and touched them, as if she could not believe what almost happened. The Key Master expected her to shout at him, to tell him to get out of her sight and that she would tell the authorities of his whereabouts but nothing came from her. Edna still floated in the water as silent as a grave... and mayhap even quieter than some of what one would find in a grave. The Key Master started to wonder if he had perhaps broken her brain.  
"Edna?"  
She looked up at last with her mouth wide open; otherwise there was no indication that she had registered him calling her name. It was a pretty awkward moment; neither of them knew what to do or to say.  
"Let's just pretend this didn't happen", the Key Master finished. Something flashed in Edna's eyes for a brief moment and, perhaps it was just his imagination, the corners of her mouth, which she had closed now, turned downward a little. Wordlessly, she nodded in agreement. The Key Master sincerely hoped things would not get awkward between them. He did not want to lose the friendship they shared, he valued it too much.  
"Let's just keep swimming, okay?", Edna finally spoke up. "It won't be long until I have to get ready for work."  
Without waiting for an answer, she started swimming around in circles. The Key Master could hear a little song coming from her lips, always the same three words: "Just keep swimming". He did not know this song or if she even just made it up on the spot but he nevertheless decided to heed those words and swam around.  
Soon, he stopped thinking about the incident and concentrated only on swimming. He found himself wishing he were at an actual beach since he felt cramped in the pond, despite its size. But maybe this was also good for him, seeing it was the first time since the early Two Thousands he went swimming. Of course he was out of practice; who would not be? Maybe he should escape to an area close to the beach when it was time for him to flee abroad. But he could imagine he would tell the single person he trusted where he would be living once he had chosen where he would be going.  
"Key Master, I think it's time for us to be going now", Edna spoke up after about an hour.  
"Alright", he replied, getting out of the water, along with her. Edna had also taken some additional towels with her, which they used to dry themselves off before going into the house and changing clothes. Once again, the Key Master was done sooner than her, so he packed everything up and waited for her. When she appeared, they headed back to her apartment.

* * *

"Well, I'll be going to work now", Edna announced. They had hung up their swimming clothes shortly after they arrived at their destination.  
"Alright, see you later", the Key Master acknowledged. "But don't you have to have to wear work clothes?"  
"I always change at my workplace", she explained. "Anyway, maybe you could get some furniture pieces to your house... or you could watch a movie. Whatever you decide, I'll leave you the spare key here." She held the object in question aloft and placed it on the table in the living room. "See you later."  
Edna left the building and walked to her workplace at a moderate pace. Her thoughts kept drifting back to that one moment in the pond earlier. The fact that he wanted to pretend nothing happened between them disappointed her and she could not even tell why she felt this way. Although she tried not to think about it, she could not help it and she could not need a distraction. The only reason her boss did not fire her was that Tina, who was conveniently his niece, convinced him to give her another chance. But Edna had her doubts it would work a second time. She would need to find a new job if she were to be fired but who would want to employ a woman in her twenties who could only work on weekends and during school vacation because she was attending school? If one thought about it, it was quite pathetic that a person, who should already be actually employed somewhere, still attended an educational establishment that was not the university. Edna looked at the people around her, all who had both their feet on the ground or who were about to. Seeing them made her feel isolated from the world around her. She was just one dirty little spot in a well established society. Only her friends kept her from ever becoming as depressive as Peter and they helped her finding joy in her life when she was feeling down. She remembered that one song from _The Sound of Music_ , it was called _My Favorite Things_. If she were to sing her own version of the song, she would change the lyrics so that her friends were mentioned first, followed by dessert, being outside, art, mayhem and besmirching Doctor Marcel's worldly goods. Not that Edna thought she had a great singing voice, she did not really like the way she sounded when she sang. That was why she only rarely let a song escape her mouth and rather listened to music. And now she was wondering why she was even thinking about music at all. It was time for her to focus on her work, unless she wanted the orders to get mixed up or even decorate a patron with food. While it would be hilarious, it would do her as well as the restaurant no good and she preferred not to see her boss when he was mad at her. Well, she saw him very seldom anyway but if she did see him she would want him to not feel any negative emotions towards her.  
Edna arrived at her workplace and quickly got changed. She tied her hair together in a loose ponytail to avoid it falling in her face and then went to the main area, where she started her duty as a waitress.

* * *

It was hard to believe it was already evening as it did not look any different than it did in the afternoon. Still, it was time for Doctor Marcel to return home. The guards who were currently responsible to watch over the patients during the day were already home or about to and his employees for the nightshift had taken their place. They had instruction to only call him if there were any severe problems, like patients escaping the premises, which only Edna and four others managed so far and no one else since then. Nonetheless, it was better to be safe than sorry, as Doctor Marcel had learned from the incident. The old man rolled down to the ground floor, already thinking of the pipe he would be smoking and the book about psychology he would be reading at home. His driver was already waiting for him at the foot of the ramp. Doctor Marcel acknowledged him with a nod and rolled down, so that he was next to the blue clad man. They left the institution together and, like earlier the day and any other day, the driver helped the doctor into his limousine. He hated being disabled, it made him feel like he could not display power towards his patients and suppress them. He was just an old man stuck in a wheelchair, only able to see with a single eye. Edna was going to pay for this and everything else she ever did. He wanted to make her suffer, to take everything and everyone that was important to her away from her. If only there was a way to find all these things out...  
The vehicle stopped and Doctor Marcel heard his driver getting out of the car. A moment later, his door opened and his driver helped him out. His driver accompanied him to the front door and opened it for the doctor.  
"I'm going home now", he announced, to which Doctor Marcel only nodded in acknowledgement. The old, disabled man rolled into his house, hearing his driver closing the door behind him, and made his way to his study. During the ride home, he remembered he had to type up the registration form for an upcoming therapy session. He opted to first write a draft before relaxing with a pipe and a good book. It was not easy to maneuver through his study as the majority of the space was taken up by file cabinets, therefore he only moved slowly forward. Just recently, he accidentally bumped into one cabinet, causing several files and documents to be scattered all over the floor. Fortunately, his driver had cleaned it all up and put them back into their respective places on the evening after work hours that day. Perhaps he should get rid of some of the files here, at least the unimportant ones, but, like with the archive in his institution, he did not see why he should. A better alternative would be to move his computer, or even the whole study, to a bigger room, like the basement, where Ruben used to live in. Doctor Marcel had pretty much banned his oldest son from living under his roof when he turned eighteen. Still, he allowed him to live underneath his asylum as long as he did not expose his identity to anyone. So far, only a policeman knew of Ruben's existence. Well, his old neighbors too but Doctor Marcel told them all that he sent Ruben to a boarding school when they asked about his sudden absence. The questions eventually stopped and most people seemed to have forgotten that Doctor Marcel had more than one son. Not that it was any of their business.  
The doctor opened a document on his computer. What was the therapy session about again? Oh yes, superiority complex! Wanting to finish the first draft as quickly as possible, he began typing up the form. He did not particularly like the idea of having therapy sessions in his establishment; it was easier to just keep the patients in the asylum and let them go to a therapy once every few months. Only special patients had regular therapy session and that was only for his own gain. Doctor Marcel did not care at all whether his patients were ever cured or not.

* * *

While Edna was at work, the Key Master had done what she suggested and brought some parts of the new closet to his hideout. It was not much since he had to make sure no one was following him and the streets were still filled with people. Thus, he only took small parts, which he could hide under his jacket, to his place. He would carry the bigger parts with Edna's help later when it was dark and no one was out. Until then, he would be passing the time doing something else, maybe watching a movie. This was the reason why he stood in front of the shelf filled with DVDs and Blu Rays. Some of the motion pictures, he knew but others were completely unknown to him. A third _Toy Story_ movie? When did that come out? Eight _Harry Potter_ movies? He always expected there to be seven. Why was there an eighth movie? And why was he expecting seven movies? Since when does a film based on the seventh _Final Fantasy_ game exist? He had vague memories of seeing the game in stores but never played it. The Key Master wished he knew what to watch as he was unable to decide. It did not help that most were either musicals or animation or both, which were not exactly his cup of tea. But for all he knew, some of the motion pictures could be really great.  
"Aw the hell", he muttered and closed his eyes, blindly taking one. Opening them, he found a blue DVD box picturing two fish and a turtle. The title was _Finding Nemo_. In hopes it would be an enjoyable way to pass the time, he placed the plastic disc into the movie player and started the movie when the main menu popped up. Already after a few short minutes, he realized it was not going to be a boring movie. The Key Master did not think he would call it his favorite film but it was definitely not the worst he had ever seen. No, he remembered having seen _Titanic_ and that was awful. He never understood why women love it... and _Dirty Dancing_. These two got to be the most boring films he had ever been forced to watch. The memories of them were the only ones he would gladly forget for the rest of his life. But so far, he found himself liking _Finding Nemo_. It had charm and beautiful visuals... and he found himself chuckling when a couple of kids called a boat a "butt". The Key Master could not deny he kind of admired Marlin for swimming through the ocean in search of his son, despite being afraid of about everything and having a companion, who could not remember anything for more than five seconds. That was the definition of father's love and determination.  
"I'm back!", he suddenly heard Edna call during the scene with the jellyfish. A moment later, she appeared behind him and watched for a few minute before climbing over the backrest. The Key Master glanced at her, noticing she wore a different outfit than a few hours ago. When she left for work, she wore a dark green shirt and blue jeans but now she was wearing pale blue dress that ended just above her kneecaps and a white apron. He presumed those were her work clothes.  
"Um, how come you haven't changed back into your everyday clothes?", the Key Master asked.  
"I was too lazy to", Edna replied, grinning sheepishly. "Just let me rest for a while, before I change my clothes."  
"But not into your pajamas, please. I would like to bring the materials for the closet to my hideout and I'm gonna need your help."  
"Alright", she agreed. The both of them continued watching the movie, with Edna eventually leaning against the Key Master. He gave her a puzzled look but did nothing else; he just let her be close to him. He assumed she was not angry because of the incident earlier in the pond or that she had already forgotten about it... His non-existent money was on the former. But her action caused his mind to run a thousand miles per hour. He considered putting an arm around her. How would she react? Would she be mad? Or not mind it at all? And why was he even thinking about this? Edna was just a friend to him, nothing more. Perhaps she was tired from work and wanted to get comfortable. Yes, that had to be it, he thought during the scene where the dentist decided to clean the tank. Both he and Edna laughed when the dentist wiped the dirt on his finger off on his patient. He was glad he picked out such a funny film, he needed a good laugh and he got plenty of amusement from this movie.  
"Did you like it?", Edna asked when the credits started rolling.  
"It was good", the Key Master replied while the young woman next to him sat up and stretched. "It's certainly one I wouldn't mind watching again."  
"I know what you mean", Edna nodded while standing up. "I feel like this towards most of the movies from the Pixar Studios, weirdly enough. Well, I'm getting changed now."  
She took her bag she left on the floor behind the couch and left the room. The Key Master pressed the stop button, opened the player and took the DVD out, putting it back into its case and into the shelf. While he was turning the television off, Edna returned, clad in her everyday clothes. It was dark outside; less likely people would be walking around and seeing them carrying large wooden pieces towards the forest. The strange looks those people would give them was the last thing they needed. Putting on their shoes and jackets, since it was still cold at night, they left the apartment and took the elevator to the ground floor. The moment they stepped out, they took the stairs to the basement and took the materials for the closet after turning on the light. They Key Master noticed the uncomfortable expression on Edna's face. He pondered what this was about while turning off the light and leaving the basement.  
Quietly, they stepped out into the night. The streets were empty, not a sound was to be heard. A gentle breeze caressed both the Key Master and Edna's faces. He  
looked up to the skies above, seeing countless stars twinkling in night. His eyes fell to the streetlights and he just remembered something:  
"How can we go through the thick forest in the middle of the night without a light?"  
"I know the way by heart", Edna responded. "Just keep close to me; I'm sure I can find the way in the dark."  
"Okay", the Key Master said slowly. He was still unsure about this. He was of the opinion that they should have taken a flashlight with them. Apparently, Edna heard the uncertainty in his voice because she added:  
"Just trust me; I walked the way so often I could go the way with my eyes closed."  
"Still doesn't reassure me", the Key Master retorted. Edna sighed.  
"Just trust me, okay?"  
The Key Master wondered if she really had memorized the path to his hideout that well over the course of one week. Nonetheless, he decided to trust her. After all, he had no reason not to. He never had a reason not to. With their minds set on bringing those big, heavy parts to his house and get back to Edna's home, they kept their trek trough the town and woods on.  
"You know, if we would be in the skies right now, we'd be trekking through the stars", Edna suddenly pointed out when the Key Master had the feeling they were almost there. He raised an eyebrow at the shadowy form that was Edna:  
"And you're saying it because..."  
He saw her shoulders moving up and down in the dark and heard her response:  
"No reason."  
Without further ado, they kept on walking. Maybe it was his imagination, but the Key Master felt the rest of the way was quite short, like they only walked for five minutes. Then again, it was not like they just leisurely sauntered through the forest but kept a constant pace. He noticed how the trees thinned out until the hill came into view. At the foot of the hill, he could barely make out his house in the dark. Out here without any artificial light, they had a better view at the stars than in town. However, none of them really noticed it since they were too occupied with carrying the materials. The Key Master put the parts he was carrying down when they reached the house to open the door. He let Edna enter first, like a gentleman would, and followed her.  
"Just lean everything against something. I will tidy up tomorrow", the Key Master instructed while leaning the materials against a wall. He could see how Edna did the same and then turned towards him:  
"Should we stay here tonight or go back?"  
"Let's go back, it would be inconvenient for various reasons to sleep here tonight", the Key Master replied.  
"Okay."

* * *

The way back was quick and quiet since both were exhausted and just wanted to rest for the night. Edna thought of taking Harvey back to her room. She was still a little mad at him but it was not as bad as it was the day before. Maybe the bath and hanging in the bathroom all day long was enough to make him understand he should not talk to her about the Key Master the way he did. The hatred and jealousy in the rabbit's voice was just too much for Edna, like she barely knew him anymore. It still confused Edna why Harvey only behaved like this towards the Key Master and Alfred but not towards any of her other friends. Well, he made a degrading comment or two about Tina shortly after moving in with her but stopped when both he and Edna got to know her better. There were often times when Edna pondered if the time they were separated had more negative effects on him than she initially thought. Harvey never told her what happened; she only knew he was used by Doctor Marcel as a hypnosis tool. But over the last week, Edna realized how much a person can change over the years. The Key Master had changed, for example, because a few years ago, he would have derided her and treated her like a small child. Now he saw and treated her like an equal and actually depended on her help. Not that he had many options for the latter.  
"I'm getting ready for bed now!" Edna announced after entering her apartment and taking off shoes and jacket. She let out a loud yawn while heading over to the bathroom. While brushing her teeth, she kept glancing towards Harvey, who refused to look at her. Ostensibly, he was still angry at her. Edna refrained herself from sighing in exasperation; he was obviously an immature figment of her imagination. Maybe she should just talk to him.  
"Oh Harv, you can't still be mad about yesterday and today, can you?", Edna questioned while releasing him from the clothesline he hung on with his ears since that morning.  
"Oh yes I can. You forced me to bath and hung me up by my ears!", he responded dramatically, raising his voice.  
"You know it was time to wash you and you never complained when I held you by your ears", Edna pointed out.  
"That's an entirely different matter!"  
"It's not."  
"It's too!"  
"Do you want to keep hanging around in the bathroom?"  
"No!"  
"Then don't be such a drama queen", the finality in Edna's voice made Harvey to keep quiet. Giving him one brief penetrating look, she left with him the bathroom. She did not want to be fighting with him anymore. There were things about her he had to accept as there were things she had to accept about him. The Key Master had already changed for bed. While he was waiting for her to finish, he read a _Captain Useless_ comic book. Edna bade him good night and went into her room, where she placed Harvey on her bed. She joined him a minute later after having changed into her pajamas. For a moment, she thought about telling Harvey what almost transpired earlier at the Key Master's hideout but quickly decided against it. In the end, it would only lead to another fight and that was the last thing she needed.

The bright sun greeted the Sunday with a touch of its warm rays, announcing another beautiful day. It was hard to believe there had been a downpour on Friday night. Every single trace of the rain was gone; only the knowledge that the plants had plenty of water remained. It was a shame that it was Sunday, the next day meant to be going to work or school again, so only the fewest could enjoy the day at its fullest. Even though she was still asleep, Edna was aware she was not among those few. She groaned when she felt the rays of the sunlight and hid her head under her bedcovers, blocking it out. It was too early to be getting up, like she went to sleep only a second ago. The previous day was just too exhausting for this young woman; summer vacation could not come fast enough. Edna slept on peacefully, for a minute or an hour, she did not know how long. But sooner or later, she woke up with one long, loud yawn. She sat up, sleepily looking around her room as if to orient herself.

"Morning Harvey", Edna greeted the blue rabbit.  
"Morning? We just went to bed", he replied sleepily. Edna decided to let him sleep for a little longer. She got up and went to the living room, where the Key Master was still sleeping on the couch. He was too big to lying on this seating accommodation; he had to curl himself up to lay there somewhat. However, he looked like he could fall off easily if he made the wrong move. Edna now wished she had insisted on her sleeping on the couch and him letting sleep in her bed. She was smaller than him and her bed as big enough for him. Crouching down in front of the Key Master, she took a good look at his face. She chuckled. In her opinion, he looked kind of cute when he was sleeping. His hair fell on his face. She reached out to move it away when his hand suddenly grabbed hers.  
"What are you laughing about?", he questioned her. Edna's eyes widened in shock.  
"I thought you were still sleeping!"  
"No, I woke up when I heard you leaving your room", the Key Master replied, sitting up and pulling Edna up to him on the couch. "Now tell me, what was so funny?"  
"I don't think you really wanna know", Edna responded, chuckling nervously and playing with her hair with her free hand.  
"That bad?"  
"Not really...", Edna shook her head when she replied. "But if you really want to know..." A light blush appeared on her cheeks. This seemed to be happening often when she was around the Key Master. "... I chuckled because I thought you look cute when you sleep."  
Even the Key Master seemed to be unable to give a response. He just stared at her in astonishment. Edna reciprocated his look with a nervous grin. The word "awkward" kept flying around in her head. Maybe she should not have said anything; the man next to her seemed to be speechless. The Key Master cleared his throat and looked down on his lap.  
"That's, um, interesting to know", he mumbled, sounding quite embarrassed. Edna tilted her head a little, noticing he was blushing too. Awkwardness early in the morning, she was sure none of them expected this.  
"Um... uh... how about breakfast?", Edna proposed in an attempt to break the silence.  
"Fine by me", the Key Master responded, looking at her again. The blush on his face was gone. Edna nodded and was about to stand up when she noticed the Key Master was still holding her hand.  
"Um...", she began, staring at their hands. The Key Master looked quizzically at her before tilting his head downwards and seeing what she saw. He released her hand. Edna suddenly felt disappointed about this but tried to not show it. She simply stood up and walked to the kitchen.

* * *

Breakfast was over in the mental institution, the guards escorted the patients to the recreation room or to their cells. Each and every guard had to keep their eyes on them, as they tended to sneak away and escape. The latter never worked but none of the employees wanted to be reprimanded by Doctor Marcel and some even felt sympathy towards the patients since the doctor's methods to punish them were not on par with their morals and ethics. Of course, some of them could not care less what happened to the loonies. All they cared about getting their wages, not the general welfare of the patients. These guards were only concerned about their job – some of them were loyal to only Doctor Marcel and not to anybody else – and not about the on goings in this establishment. However, most did not like their employer, which was why they had a photo of him attached to the darts boards in the break room.  
"In with y'all! Come on, we don't have all day!", one guard barked at the majority of the patients as he let them into the recreation room. His colleagues, meanwhile, brought the rest of them to their cells.  
"Another day in paradise", the Beeman noted with sarcasm dripping his voice after the guards were gone. Opting not to let it trouble him, he joined a few others playing one of the many board games they had here. King Adrian was in his residence, which was guarded vigilantly by Drogglejug. Professor Nock hid behind an armchair in the corner of the television room and watched with Petra, who was sitting on the couch, one of the many _Land Before Time_ movies. On the next floor, in a solitary cell, was Miranya, still being forced to sew rag doll rabbit. She was sure she already made over a billion of them and still, the doctor was not satisfied. Just how many did he need and what for? The same question was simultaneously asked by four patients locked in a cell in a tower, although it was in regards of darts and it did not feel to them like they made over a billion. Unless one was among the few lackeys Doctor Marcel trusted, no one knew what was going on and why he enslaved at least five patients to manufacture a countless amount of two things. So, it was no wonder why many people close to the asylum, whether employee or patient, pondered how a man like Doctor Marcel could become a psychiatrist and run a mental institution.  
"You know, it would do Doctor Marcel well if he were visited by the Phantom", one guard, named Benjamin, or Ben for short, casually mentioned. He was one of the few who hated his employer and felt sympathy towards the patients.  
"If he can be scared at all, Ben", the only other person in the surveillance room, in which they were currently located, pointed out.  
"Yeah", Ben rolled his eyes. "But you can't deny it, Amy. You think he deserves to be scared too."  
"Of course, I do. Anyway, the therapy session starts in a few minutes and it would do no good if the therapist would not be there", Amy kissed Ben on the cheek and left the surveillance room, greeting René, who was entering the room, on her way out. Ben turned his attention back to the monitors, only nodding at his colleague in greeting. He did not know what to make of René and thus dared not to talk about his hatred towards Doctor Marcel when he was around. For all he knew, René could be among the doctor's inner circle and if he would tell him what he, Ben, thought of the doctor, he might as well pack his stuff. Still, René was more likeable than Hulgor or Babbitt or, worse, Anes.  
"Anything unusual happening, Ben?", the man with the sideburns asked while filling a cup with water.  
"No, everything is as normal as it can be in an asylum", Ben replied, still looking at the monitors. He turned around to René and added: "How come there are only a few therapy sessions around here? Amy spends more time driving to other institutions that are miles away than here."  
"I don't know, sorry", René replied in his laid-back voice, although a hint of compassion could barely be heard. Ben sighed ruefully. He hated it that his girlfriend had to travel long distances just so she could do her job. Plans to move away to another location were in the making but, due to their inconvenient work hours and the distances Amy had to drive from time to time, it was an agonizingly slow process. But one day, they would find a better workplace, hopefully with a nicer employer.

* * *

After a nice long breakfast consisting of pancakes, which Edna had made, and coffee, it was time for the Key Master to leave for his hideout. He had his things packed soon after taking care of his personal hygiene and was now in the hallway, saying good bye to Edna.  
"Thanks for the invite, it was nice to not be alone all day long", he said.  
"Maybe we could repeat it soon? I liked your company", Edna replied. She held an cordless drill in her hand and gave it to the Key Master. "I think you're going to need it when you're assembling the closet together."  
"Ah yes, I could really need this", he responded, taking and pocketing it.  
"I might come visit you later, but I'm not sure if I can find the time", Edna said. She averted her eyes. It was difficult for her to say good bye to him, she had already gotten used to the thought he was living under the same roof as her.  
"Well then, until later or tomorrow", the Key Master said. He turned around and opened the door when Edna suddenly and instinctively called out "Wait!"  
He stopped and turned towards her again only for her to put her arms around him in an embrace. She felt him stiffen but he relaxed a second later and hugged her back.  
"See you soon."  
Edna let him go and the Key Master, with one last grin towards her, opened the door and left. She hoped he would get home without any incidents happening along the way. Quite a few people were out and about at this time of the day, so there was a risk he would be recognized by someone. Edna kept her fingers crossed that it would not be happening. Spending her time with him had gotten a part of her daily life over the last week; she would not know what to do with her time. It was weird, she thought while putting the leftover pancakes in the refrigerator, when she first saw him again, she expected she would want to spend as little time as possible with him. But now, it was hard for her to imagine not having the Key Master around.  
Edna returned to her room and took the drawings she made the previous day, skimming through them.  
"What are you doing there, Edna?", Harvey questioned from his spot on the bed. The purple haired girl looked up from her artworks and over to her lagomorph rag doll.  
"Just deciding which one I should give more details and color for Art class", she replied.  
"But Edna, it's warm outside and you're wasting your time in here!", Harvey exclaimed in shock. "You should go outside instead!"  
Edna considered for a moment. It was indeed a beautiful day outside, a shame to be wasting it by being indoors. Yes, she should go and enjoy this day. She could always go through her drawings later.  
"Okay, you convinced me", she agreed with her friend and put the drawings back on the desk. "Let's go outside."  
She stood up and took Harvey and her cell phone with her. Technically, she could visit the Key Master, like she announced earlier, but he left not even thirty minutes ago. So, Edna decided it was better to let at least a few hours pass. A walk in the park was what she needed and maybe the fresh air could inspire her. So, with Harvey in her left hand, carried by his ears, with her cell phone in her pocket, she left the apartment complex.

Beautiful, lush, green – those were the three most appropriate words to describe the park. It was the prettiest place in town and a favorite location to hang out at. There was a playground in the park for children to spend their energy at, with several benches close by for the parents to keep watch. It was also popular to picnic around here, particularly near the duck pond, and one big meadow was perfect for doing sports or playing with the dog. However, the park also attracted weird and creepy types of people, like Heike or the old man who tried to convince Edna to go with him. She was fortunate the Key Master followed her; she shuddered to think what would have happened otherwise. People like that old man belong in a cell, unlike most of her friends she made in the asylum. They might have been loony, but at least they would not assault anyone – except maybe the bartender. Edna missed her friends from the asylum; it was actually fun to be around them. Not that she did not like the new friends she made over the years but it would great if all of her friends would meet. Perhaps one big picnic, though she would not let Petra take care of the food or anything else for that matter. Petra should actually never plan anything, especially surprise parties. Edna could still remember the birthday party she had organized for Peter vividly. Not something one would like for their own birthday. The only good thing about this was that Peter and Petra made a cute couple. Edna was the perfect matchmaker. Maybe Sebastian would heed her words and invite Bianca to his family vacation and they would end up together. Edna thought the two would deserve it; they would just be a sweet couple. Speaking of Bianca, Edna spotted her pale skinned, dark haired friend sitting on a bench not too far from her. She seemed to have noticed her too, since she was waving at her and calling her:  
"Hey Edna!"  
"Hi Bianca", Edna greeted back, approaching her friend and sitting down next to her. Judging from the big grin on Bianca's face, Edna suspected her to be in a good mood. "What's up?"  
"Nothing except Sebastian invited me to join him on his family vacation", Bianca enthusiastically told Edna.  
"Really? That's great!"  
She was immensely happy for her friend. Bianca beamed at her.  
"Yeah, isn't it?", the younger girl replied. Then she put on a rather curious expression. "Sebastian told me he saw you at _Boutique de Vêtement_ and, according to him, it looked like you were waiting for somebody."  
"Oh, I had an old friend of mine visiting and he needed some new socks. I was just waiting for him to finish his purchase."  
Bianca had her narrowed eyes fixated on Edna for a good minute, making her feel a little uncomfortable. Edna wondered if she believed her. It was, after all, not the whole truth. But Bianca seemed to be satisfied with the answer and her smile reappeared on her face.  
"Anyway, how's it going with your Art homework? What have you chosen?", she asked Edna.  
"Pretty good, just needs color", Edna replied while stroking Harvey's ears. "I picked CD cover, though I did have trouble deciding for which bands and actually still have. What about you?"  
Bianca nodded her head with an understanding smile on her face, though it quickly changed into a cheeky grin.  
"Pity you didn't say you chose jewelry. That way I could have asked 'who are you and what have you done to Edna Konrad?'"  
Edna chuckled at Bianca's little joke before quietly talking to her:  
"Well, Heike tried to provoke me into choosing this. But I realized jewelry is just not my thing to design. I could try to but it wouldn't be me."  
"Yeah I see what you mean. I would always choose something I feel more comfortable with."  
"But of course, Heike just can't shut up. She's worse than Alfred."  
Bianca stared questioningly at Edna.  
"Who's Alfred?"  
"Just some frog face... and a friend from my childhood...", Edna sighed, suddenly feeling saddened. The knowledge of having killed her only friend was still a heavy weight on her shoulders. She never wanted this accident to happen.  
"Let's... let's just talk about something else, okay?", Edna requested before Bianca could ask further questions, which she seemed to be about to do. "What are you planning to do during Summer vacation?"  
"Well, I'm definitely joining Sebastian on his trip to France but that's the only thing I'm certain of", Bianca responded, looking up to the skies. "Guess I will decide spontaneously when the time comes."  
"I don't know what I'll be doing either. All I know is that I'll be glad when vacation starts."  
Edna also looked to the blue skies and watched the clouds passing by, slowly but surely. She thought that one cloud looked like a frog balancing a key on its head; another one looked like a rabbit spitting fire. Usually, Edna was not much of a cloud watcher – she always preferred activities that would get her dirty – but these shapes amused her. She sighed in content upon feeling a cool breeze on her face. No matter how many years had passed since her breakout, each moment outdoors felt like a treasure she could easily loose. If only the deaths of both her father and Alfred were not constantly on her mind. She tried not to show it but there were times when she just wanted to cry in grief. The feeling had been stronger when she thought the Key Master was also dead because of her and when she still blamed herself for the reverend's death but it had diminished since the former revealed himself to be alive and she realized it was not entirely her fault the latter was killed. Sometimes, during quiet moments while she attended the convent school, she wondered if the Key Master regretted having these urges to kill. He did lock himself up after he killed the reverend when he could have just fled and taken more lives. Perhaps the fact he showed a tiny little bit of remorse ultimately convinced Edna to give him a second chance. Besides, everybody should have the chance to walk the path of redemption. The only question was whether they redeem themselves or not but it seemed the Key Master was on the right track. Unless it was a ruse, which was something that worried Edna. She did not want to be used by him or anybody else. Something bumped against her foot, pulling her out of her reverie.  
"Hm?"  
Edna looked down to see a red ball at her feet. She picked it up the moment the owner of the ball came running up to her. It was a little boy around the age of eight, who reminded Edna a little of Alfred. She did not show it but she got a little depressed at the thought of the frog face.  
"Can I have my ball back, please?"  
"Sure, little one", Edna responded, gently throwing the ball to the boy, who caught it. He thanked her and ran off to rejoin his friends. Edna watched the kids joyously running and playing around. Seeing them made her miss her childhood and Alfred so much it hurt. Even if she was often grounded and she often teased him, life was still somewhat easier back then than it was in present time.  
"Hey, isn't this Gabrielle over there?", Bianca whispered, pointing towards a girl around her age with a tanned skin complexion and dark brown hair, clad in a red dress. Edna looked over to the young girl. She could not see her face, so it was hard for her to tell.  
"I don't know, could be", she whispered back, her eyes on the girl. The girl in red turned around, enabling them to have a look on her face. It was indeed Gabrielle, who seemed to have noticed Edna and Bianca and approached them. She stopped right in front of them, with her hands on her hips, as if trying to appear tall.  
"Well, well, well, who do we have here?", Gabrielle spoke sardonically. Bianca gave her a dull look.  
"Cut that out, Gabrielle, Heike is nowhere around here. You don't have to pretend you hate us more than a stain on your dress."  
Edna was confused, she always thought Gabrielle really hated them more than a stain on her dress. But why would she pretend to hate both her and Bianca? Gabrielle sighed, letting her shoulders fall.  
"I know, but you never know if or when she appears", Gabrielle complained in exasperation. Edna wondered if Harvey had tempomorphed her into the wrong story. Was her thought that Gabrielle was loyal to Heike completely wrong? Ever since Edna knew Gabrielle, the latter showed nothing but contempt towards her. Now it was supposed to be a facade? This was quite unexpected.  
"Why don't you just turn away from Heike? She is nothing but bad for you", Bianca advised Gabrielle. Edna alternatively stared at the two of them.  
"And risk her wrath!? No way, not until we finished school and she's going to a different place than I am", Gabrielle exclaimed. "I should better go now before Heike appears and sees me talking with you."  
She rushed off. The moment she was out of sight, Edna turned to Bianca:  
"Just what was that about?"  
"Oh yes, you don't know it but Gabrielle used to be decent... until Heike corrupted her", Bianca explained, sounding displeased at the last part. Edna was astonished. So Gabrielle was not so bad after all... It was all just Heike's fault. It would have been nice to have met Gabrielle before her corruption, maybe she would be among Edna's friends too.  
"Is this the same case for everyone who's friends with Heike?", Edna questioned.  
"Well, not everyone. Some really do hate you but I think a couple of them just don't have anything against you."  
This new knowledge confused Edna. All this time she thought only Bianca and Sebastian were her friends at school, now it turned out only a few of those on Heike's side had something against her. What else was also a lie? Edna did not want come to any conclusions without any evidence.  
"Really, what is this? A play?", Harvey commented about all this but Edna ignored him. She tried not to think about this, it was too much digest.

* * *

"Calm down... Don't have a relapse. You don't want to be killing again... Just think about something else."  
The Key Master paced back and forth in his house, talking to himself. On his way back to his hideout, he saw the old man who harassed Edna just the other day. The sight of him made the Key Master's blood boil and his fingers twitched, wanting to snake them around the old man's throat and cut of his oxygen feed until he suffocated. He wanted to see the life in his eyes fading away until they were like windows of an abandoned house. But he had to control himself; he could not allow himself to have a relapse. He had been able to hold himself back for so long; it must not be for naught. Just why did he keep getting these urges to kill? He was not like this until a certain point in his life, one he could not even remember.  
The Key Master groaned and slumped into the bed. He needed a distraction... If only Edna had also given him some art supplies. This would have been a nice distraction and his hideout would not look so empty. He let his eyes wander around the room. Even a university student had better looking accommodation than he did. His ocular organs fell on the materials for the closet he and Edna had brought here last night. She had given him an cordless drill. Perhaps he could assemble it together. The old closet was in such a bad shape, the wood could probably be used for the fireplace when it would get colder. That was, if he still lived here and had not gone abroad yet. He still had to decide where he would flee to, though he was tending towards one of the neighboring countries. However, it might be better to go to a country farther away. But it did not really matter, just as long as he could start a new life, one without the need to hide from authorities. The Key Master was getting tired of hiding letting the world pass by but he did not want to be locked up in a cell and he was not that desperate to commit suicide. Besides, there were always better ways to deal with life's struggles.  
Opting to assemble the new closet, he stood up and took the manual, studying it. Afterwards, he first disassembled the old one and stacked the wooden parts up next to the fireplace. With the manual on the table, the Key Master took the materials and started assembling his new closet.

* * *

Edna and Harvey returned home around lunchtime. She had bought a lahmacun at a nearby kebab stand, which she intended to eat before finishing her Art homework. Harvey kept protesting she should not do her homework but instead buy a polo mallet and use it on everything she would see. Edna declined, though, for various reasons. Her lagomorph friend did not take it well and sulked since then.  
"Oh Harvey, don't act so immature", Edna reproached him while entering her apartment. No answer. She sighed while shaking her head; he would probably never change – unless he would get those red eyes that, now that she thought about it, reminded her of Poozie's eyes. However, she had no time to dwell on that as a voice greeted her:  
"Hi Edna."  
It was Tina, sitting in front of the television set and eating a Subway sandwich while watching _Edward Scissorhands_.  
"Hey, how was your trip?", Edna greeted her housemate, joining her on the couch.  
"It was nice to see some old friends again. Wish you could have come too", Tina responded before taking a bite from her sandwich. Edna simply shrugged and unwrapped her lahmacun. Tina made no other mention of it, probably because she was too busy eating and watching as was Edna. They could always talk after finishing these two things, without the distraction of Johnny Depp having scissors for hands. Well, at least the chubbier one of the two was distracted, while the other one was actually deep in thought. Edna knew Tina liked other music genres than she did and actually collected CDs with the soundtrack of movies as well as video games. Perhaps she could ask for help with her Art homework. Although Edna had already drawn various CD covers, she nevertheless wanted to ask her housemate for her opinion before she would ultimately decide on one. She thought of Heike and how this annoying person, who looked like she fell in a paint bucket, filled with every color in the world, could at least shut up about her having no fashion sense. In fact, Heike could shut up about everything. If it were not for the fact her parents were rich, the possibility of her having no friends would be great. But that was how life worked, money ruled the world. Still, Edna rather had just one true friend than a thousand false friends; she would always have someone to count on, Heike not.  
"Um Tina, I need to ask a favor of you", Edna spoke up, after they both had finished eating and the movie was over. The credits ran on the television set, which the blond muted, so she could turn her full attention towards Edna.  
"Fire away."  
"Well, our homework for the next Art class was to draw either a piece of jewelry or a CD cover", Edna began. Her housemate nodded to indicate she was with her. "Now, I decided for CD cover and I've already drawn up a couple of sketches but I can't decide which one to finish and, well, I thought I could ask you for your opinion. I know my kind of music is not your kind but you're not biased when it's about designing... except maybe fashion..."  
Edna, who bit her bottom lip, looked with big eyes expectedly at Tina, who just hummed once but gave no other response. The latter pressed the Stop, then the Open/Close button on the remote and stood up to remove the DVD from the player. She put it back in its cover and to its place in the shelf. Only after doing all these things, she turned towards Edna and gave a response:  
"Perhaps you could also draw up some for the kinds of music you don't listen to for a wider variety. Nevertheless, I would like to see what you have so far."  
"So, you're going to help me?", Edna elatedly asked. Tina grinned and nodded with a simple "of course". She instructed Edna to get her drawings, empty sheets of paper, a pencil, a sharpener and an eraser while she was throwing the trash away. Edna compiled, leisurely sauntering into her room to gather all the items and returning a few minutes later. Both women took their seats at the table and began looking at Edna's designs, with Tina contributing her comments:  
"This one looks awesome... could be better... beautiful... I just can't think of an adjective to describe this magnificent design... not quite... looks good, could be better... nope... oh, I like that one... nah... oh holy shit... no... this is great... beautiful... absolutely stunning."  
Edna piled her designs onto two piles, based on Tina's reactions. The left pile were the ones Tina was not fond of and were therefore discarded while the right pile were the ones that would make it to the next round. This kind of sounded like a casting show... But the question remained, what other kinds of music could Edna draw CD covers for. A question she quickly asked her housemate, who suggested video game music or classical pieces of music. Well, the former in this case... Besides, they had a nice collection of video games, even though the majority belonged to Tina, so it was easier for her to think up a couple of designs. But she would rather listen to the soundtracks to make it easier for her. Edna voiced her request out loud and Tina was quick to put on some of her video game music. The young woman with the purple hair took a moment to listen to the music before taking the pencil and letting it glide over a piece of paper.

After spending several hours sketching, it was time for Edna to go to work. She would choose one either after her shift or the next day which one she would color, depending on how exhausted she was going to be. Edna took her time to get ready by taking a quick shower and then changing into her waitress clothes. Tina promised her to drive her to work and back, so Edna was not in such a hurry like she would usually be if she was running late. She wished she had a driver's license but she had decided not to attend a driver's school until she finished school. It would be just stressful for her, especially now with school, work and her daily visit to the Key Master. Besides, it was good to be walking around and not being confined in just one place, although she did not mind taking a ride now and then.  
"Ready to go?", Tina asked after a refreshed and dressed Edna emerged from the bathroom.  
"Just let me get my stuff", she replied and rushed to her room, returning a minute later with her items. With a "see you later" to Harvey, Edna followed Tina out of their apartment and the building and to the car. The ride to the Mare de Sol was short but filled with a conversation.  
"Oh yes, Anika mentioned just yesterday it would be great if we all would hang out together in the near future", Edna told her housemate and driver.  
"I'd like that. Hey, maybe you should invite Bianca too", Tina responded happily, keeping her eyes on the road. "We just need to agree when we hang out together. Personally, I think some time during the Summer vacation would be a good time."  
"I could talk with Bianca and Anika about this", Edna said as the restaurant came into view. The moment Tina parked in the parking lot and Edna got out, the owner and Edna's boss came out of the building. He walked straight towards them while Tina left her car too.  
"Tina, how's my favorite niece doing?", he greeted her.  
"How many other nieces do you have, Uncle Manuel?", she retorted cheekily. It was only because Tina was Edna's boss's niece she got the job in the first place and could keep it.  
"I just talked to with Nicole via Skype", Manuel told his niece. "She sends you her best regard from Vladvakistan."  
"How is she doing over there?"  
"Not bad, she just wished they would be more hygienic. They're not really known for being the cleanest folk in the world, you know."  
"Yeah, I once read about this", Tina shrugged. "Anyway, send her my regard, too. I gotta go now. See you, Uncle. Until later, Edna."  
She waved at them and went back into her car, driving off. Edna, who waved back, entered the restaurant, while her employer left for a short walk. She met a couple of colleagues in the employees' only area. One or two of them wrinkled up their noses, others just nodded at her in greeting. Only Anika did not greet her non-verbally. She approached Edna and gave her a one-armed hug:  
"Hello, Edna. How was your day? Did you talk with Tina about our girl's day out?"  
"Hi, Anika", Edna greeted her back. "To your questions: yes, I did talk with Tina. She suggested inviting Bianca too. And I had a nice day. How about you?"  
They walked towards the main area while holding their conversation. So far, there were not that many guests yet, though they knew it was going to change soon.  
"My day was great too. By the way, what does your friend say about the furniture he got from me and Gregor?"  
"He's grateful you guys willingly gave him your furniture."  
"Well, there wasn't enough space for it in our new apartment and no one else in our family had any need for them."  
The two friends smiled at each other for a short moment before starting to wait on their patrons.


	10. A Mother's Diary

**Chapter Ten**

 **A Mother's Diary**

The working shift had been so exhausting for Edna she went straight to bed after returning home. She would continue working on her Art homework after school, where she was currently suffering a German lesson. Missus Rosefield talked about their _Faust_ test, which she was about to give back. But first, she would always praise those who did a good job on their tests while either telling those who did bad to do better next time, in the new school year, or she would be glaring at them. Edna let her eyes wander to the other side of the window, dreaming of the world outside these walls. Not long until she could leave for the day, then not long until she would graduate the school and then would leave forever. That was what she kept telling herself to motivate herself.  
"I will now give you your tests back", Missus Rosefield announced at last to a class that looked like it was about to doze off. She walked along the rows, handing the tests to the respective student with a little comment:  
"Moritz, well done... Lisa, not bad but you can do better... Heike, you should spend more time studying... Sebastian, good work... Robert, you can do better... Daniel, you should spend less time with Heike and study more... Bianca, you did your best."  
The black haired, pale skinned girl took her test with a slightly frightened expression back. She skimmed over the paper with one hand covering her hand, not moving any other muscles. Edna watched her friend while Missus Rosefield kept handing out the tests. She wondered how Bianca had been doing since _Faust_ was not exactly her kind of topic. Bianca removed her hand from her mouth and moved it over her face to hide it behind her hand while putting the test down. She closed her eyes and let a sigh escape.  
"Pssh. Hey! Bianca! What did you get?", Edna whispered to her friend. Bianca peered with her dark eyes between her fingers at her, whispering back:  
"I got a D..."  
Her disappointment was evident in her voice, her face and posture. Edna could not think of anything to comfort her. Normally she would say she could do a better job on the next test but, alas, this one was the last one in this class for the school year. In fact, the only grade they were going to get was for Art for their homework. Edna sighed and supported her head on her arms, following her teacher with her eyes but also occasionally gazing out of the window to the clear blue sky. Oh, what would she give for a pair of wings now, to be soaring up there to the limitless the sky? No borders, no restrictions, just freedom. Just why was humanity not born with wings?  
"Edna, well done", Missus Rosefield's voice pulled her out of her short reverie. Edna turned towards her and took her test in her hand. After a quick scan, she was overjoyed to see she got a B plus. She silently thanked the Key Master for helping her with her studies and made a mental note to get him or do something special for him in her gratitude. She glanced at Bianca, who was determinedly staring at the clock. Edna looked at the chronometer too, noticing the lesson had only a few minutes left. Soon, they were free for the day. Quite a few students kept looking at the time, desiring for the bell to ring. There was not a person – except maybe one or two – who listened to their teacher essentially repeating what she said earlier before she handed out the tests. Not that it stopped her from talking at all; the only thing that made her to stop speaking was the ringing bell. Every student packed their stuff and rushed out as if they were eager to buy the newest video game console or as though Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn and John de Lancie were giving a speech in the local town hall. Bianca was among the first to be gone.  
"What's with her?", Sebastian wondered out loud while he left the educational establishment alongside Edna.  
"Guess she's disappointed with herself", she replied calmly.  
"But she was still better than Heike. She barely scrapped an E", Sebastian responded. Edna looked exasperatedly at him.  
"That won't make her feel better. It's well-known Heike has as much brain as a jellyfish", she retorted.  
"You got a point there. But it could also make her happy to know has at least some brains. And don't forget, Bianca is among the most intelligent students in our year."  
"Can't deny that one. And one bad grade is not as bad as only getting bottom marks, am I right?", Edna said, now heading to another direction than Sebastian. "Anyway, see you."

Edna found Tina drawing and simultaneously listening to music in the living room when she returned home. On the table was an unopened envelope as plain as a meteor crashing in a backyard. Tina did not seem to have noticed her yet, she was too engrossed with her drawing and humming along her music. Edna stood behind her and watched her drawing for a few minutes. Tina's hand floated over the paper with just light pressure on the pencil, by which the lines were tender, almost invisible. From what Edna could see, based on the sketch, it was supposed to be a video game character – a beautiful, young and slender woman with long hair. The same character was drawn twice, once in a leotard, cape and boots, carrying a sword, and the other variant wore a gorgeous gown and held a rose bouquet in her hands. Edna moved to the side, so that Tina could see her from the corner of her eye, and lightly poked her. Her housemate put the pencil down and lowered the volume of the music player.  
"Welcome home", Tina greeted her. "There's a Subway sandwich in the kitchen for you. I bought it alongside mine from yesterday."  
"Thanks. By the way, we got our test back", Edna responded.  
"And?", Tina asked expectedly, sitting on the edge of her seat. Her eyes were shining with curiosity. Edna grinned.  
"I got a B plus."  
"Oh, that's great! Congrats!", the older girl exclaimed ecstatically. However, her joyous face turned into a pout a moment later, when she added, in a rather whiny voice: "Now I feel twice as bad about giving you the bad news..."  
"What do you mean?", Edna asked with a frown. Tina sighed and nodded towards the envelope. Edna reached for it, noticing it was addressed at her. Hesitatingly, she opened the envelope and skimmed through the letter inside. It was a letter for a formal hearing on the Wednesday of the first week of summer vacation. Wordlessly, she handed it to Tina, who skimmed through it, too.  
"Well, I could come with you for moral support", Tina offered slowly, "but you'd have to say everything you have to say yourself."  
"Well, I'd feel better if you would come along...", Edna trailed off. She paced around the room, she had completely forgotten about this. The little voice in her had, more commonly known as conscience, kept reproaching her for her misdeed. Silently and in a trance-like state, she headed towards her room. This would be the first time she would be confronted with the police for something she actually did – except shortly after her breakout when she ran away from them. Edna unceremoniously threw her school bag on her bed with a sigh.  
"Hey Edna, is something wrong?", Harvey concernedly asked her. Her eyes glinted at him:  
"I have to go to a formal hearing because of you."  
"W-what? But why? What do I have to do with this!?"  
"Well, who told me to push Heike into a pond? It was you!"  
Refusing to say any more words to Harvey, Edna took her sketches and her test from her school bag, and put them in her rucksack. Then she took some pencils, a rubber and, a sharpener before leaving her room. She took some edible items from the kitchen, her Subway sandwich among them, as well as two bottles of water.  
"I'm going outside", she announced to Tina. Edna could just barely hear her wondering "Where have you been off to for a week now?"

Her destination was, of course, the Key Master's hideout, as it had been for the past week. She found him sitting underneath the shade of a tree with his nose stuck in the fairytale book she had given to him. Edna walked straight towards him and plopped on the ground right next to him. Being outdoors, alongside one of her favorite people, significantly raised her spirits.  
"Hi there", Edna greeted the Key Master with a grin. He turned his head towards her while putting the book down on the ground.  
"Hello Princess. How was your day?"  
"Boring for the most part but I got good news and bad news", she responded and opened her rucksack. "Which one would you like to hear first?"  
"I think I'll take the bad news first."  
"Very well...", and Edna proceeded telling him about her upcoming hearing. The Key Master said nothing in response after she finished. He simply leaned against the tree trunk and stared straight to the horizon, most likely fully aware Edna was watching him since he kept glancing at her from the corners of his eyes.  
"This is not easy for you, is it?", he finally said, directly looking at her. Edna shook her head:  
"No, it's not... If only I hadn't listened to Harvey..."  
She hung her head, once again hearing her conscience reprimanding her. But it was not the hearing that made her feel miserable; it was that the incident reminded her of Alfred's death every time she thought about it. It did not help that her respective victims had made fun of her because of Harvey, who animated her to push them. Her father took the blame the first time it happened but this time, there was no one who help her out. She would have to do this herself, with only moral support from her friends. At least it was better than nothing. Besides, she had to carry responsibilities, no matter how aggravating they were.  
"It will be over before you know it", the Key Master consoled her. He took her hand into his, adding: "And I'll be here for you."  
The corners of Edna's mouth turned upwards. She could hardly believe the man next to her was the same murderous madman from a few years ago. She wished she could have witnessed his change instead of just seeing the end result.  
"Now tell me, what are the good news?", the Key Master asked in an obvious attempt to steer the conversation to a pleasant area.  
"Uno momento", a grinning Edna answered and rummaged through her rucksack. She took the water bottles, the Subway sandwich and her test out, handing the latter to the Key Master. He took it and scanned it.  
"Congratulations!", he said happily after having spotted the grade. "I knew you could do it!"  
"Thanks, and thanks for helping me with my studies. I don't think I could have done it without you", Edna beamed. She took the test back and put it back into her rucksack. Then she unwrapped her sandwich – it was turkey with cheese, tomato, cucumber and salad, topped off with chili sauce – and offered half of it to the man next to her.  
"I hope you like everything on it", she said when he gratefully took a half. He took a bite.  
"Tasty", he commented after swallowing. Edna, who was happily munching her half, was glad to hear it. Maybe she could invite the Key Master to Subways, then he could see what else they have to offer. Only trouble was the next one was an hour drive with the car away. But she could look up the timetable for the train on the Internet, this would be a good alternative and he would not have to spend almost all day in lonesome. If she thought about it, they really ought to go somewhere more often; the Key Master could not possibly get bored to death every day. Edna glanced towards him, suddenly feeling sorry for him. As long as he lived in this country, he would always feel the need to hide. He could only feel safe if he was abroad; Edna knew this and yet, she hated the thought of him going away. Whenever she thought about this, she felt a pang in her chest and like somebody put a heap of rocks on her heart. She loathed this feeling.  
"How are you coming along with your Art homework?", the Key Master asked after they finished their sandwich halves. Edna held up her hand to signal for him wait for a second and then rummaged through her rucksack. She retracted her hand from the inside with a pile of sketches in her hand.  
"Here, take a look", she told him, handing them to him. He studied the drawings, humming now and then. Edna, who was watching him intently, noticed that, while his expression did not change, he looked at some pictures for quite a long time and at others with just a quick glimpse.  
"I really like your sketch for _Jesus Zombie Massacre_ ", the Key Master commented after having looked through them. "But really, all of your designs look fantastic. I see you even chose other music than metal and rock, only I'm not quite sure what kind of music they are supposed to be."  
He held the respective _Jesus Zombie Massacre_ sketch up. Admittedly, this one was one of the few Edna was satisfied with. It depicted a skeleton hanging on a cross, like Jesus, with a horde of zombies at his feet.  
"Well, then I know what I'm going to finish drawing", Edna grinned. "Thanks for your feedback. Hey, can I do the line art here?"  
"Of course you can, just let me get you an even surface", the Key Master stood up and was about to head to his house if Edna had not called for him to wait. She threw her rucksack at him, which he caught, and told him there were groceries for him in there. With her rucksack in his hand, the Key Master walked to his house. Alone for a moment, Edna reflected on the past hours. She got mad at Harvey once again, which seemed to happen more often than it did in the past. What could it mean? Was she slowly but surely retracting herself from her blue rabbit? She thought they would always be together... Where was a psychologist if there was a need for one? Edna went through her hair and sighed. Why was it so difficult for her to let it go? Many other people had imaginary friends when they were little, who they let go when they got older. But why was it difficult for her? It was normal for people to keep their most favorite toy in adulthood but she was probably the only person who still talked to it.  
"I should just think of something that makes me happy", Edna mumbled to herself. She thought of her friends, her favorite food and movies. Life was too short to only think of negative things, the limited time was too precious. She already wasted enough time in a cell, no need to be unhappy; she ought to feel content.  
Edna saw the Key Master exiting the house with a large board under his arm. She tilted her head, pondering if this was a piece of the new closet. However, as he came closer, she noticed it was the old one. Apparently, he assembled the one he got from Gregor and Anika. She could see the difference between the two closets when the Key Master was just a short distance away – the old one was made of a slightly darker wood.  
"Here's your even surface, Princess."  
The Key Master placed the material right in front of Edna, who put her art supplies on it. She traced lightly what she drew before, now with more pressure; first the skeleton on the cross, followed by the cross itself and then the horde of zombies. She concentrated fully and completely on drawing the lines as carefully as possible, without making any mistakes. If she made one, she simply used the eraser. This went on until the line art was done.  
"Now, only the colors are left. I'm gonna do them at home", Edna said to herself with a satisfied smirk and put this drawing, alongside her other sketches, back in her rucksack.  
"Say, how have you been doing since you left the apartment yesterday?", she asked, opening a water bottle and taking a swig from it.  
"You almost sound like we haven't seen each other for years. If you hadn't said the word 'yesterday', it might as well be a question you could have asked at our reunion then", the Key Master paused for a second to drink from the other water bottle. "But to answer your question, I assembled the new closet, almost had a relapse, read two fairytales, took a little swim and went to bed."  
"Then I guess this wood's here is from the old claustrophobia causing, dark shed of hidden secrets", Edna commented, knocking on the old wood. A second later, she realized what the second thing in the Key Master's list was. She frowned at him: "Wait, what was the second one again? You almost had a relapse? What happened?"  
She reached out for him to take his hand or touch his shoulder, anything just as long as her hand would connect to his body. The Key Master turned his head away with a sigh, his eyes were downcast, and the corners of his mouth were down.  
"I saw that man from Friday on my way home", he replied almost inaudibly. "The sight of him made me so mad I don't know how I was even able to stop myself from killing him..."  
Edna did not know what to say or feel. It was hard for her to comprehend that the Key Master would hate the old man so much. Was it just like all the other relapses he admitted almost having or was there more to it? How often did he even get the urge to kill? Frequently? Rarely? Randomly? Was it possible for him to not feel this way again? After all, he learned holding back and not murdering someone. Edna moved closer to the Key Master and, in an attempt to make him feel better, embraced him.  
"Just don't think about this too much, okay?"  
She could feel how he placed one hand on her hip while the other lightly stroked her hair. It was a pleasant feeling, one that made her feel comfortably warm inside. Why did she always feel so safe and secure whenever she was around him? Should he not scare her because he could get the urge to kill and satisfy this urge by ending her life? But it was impossible for her to; he had shown there was more to him than just the lunatic killer, who used his beautiful and hypnotizing voice to manipulate her. Edna had gotten to know him better, yet he was still as mysterious as the contents of a diary. She had never met anyone like him before and probably would never again. The Key Master was unique to her.  
"Are you feeling better now?", she whispered with her head resting against his shoulder. She felt him nod.  
"Yes, thanks to you."  
He did not let go and she did not remove her arms from him. Neither of them wanted to. Unfortunately, time could not be stopped; it kept flowing and flowing until it was time for Edna to go. She packed her things, said good bye and returned home.

The following days passed quickly. There was not much to do in school since the teachers did not bother to commence any new topics shortly before vacation started. All they did were just revisions of old topics. At the moment, they had Art class, during which their teacher collected their homework. This was their final week of receiving any grades, so the teacher – Miss Moore – started grading the drawings during class while the students were supposed to draw a simple still life she had prepared for them. It was just something to keep them busy; they were free to do other artistic things as long as they were quiet. When the bell rang, Miss Moore had finished grading about three quarters of the students. She announced she would finish looking through them at home and give them all back some time during break the following day.  
"Well Edna, what did you choose? It can't possibly be jewelry, unless you were striving for an F", Heike taunted her as soon as Miss Moore was out of sight and earshot. Edna glowered at her.  
"No, I did not but only because I have more in my brains than accessories", she hissed at Heike. Never would she have thought she would find a person she would loathe as much as Doctor Marcel. If one would tell her Heike was his daughter and Alfred was not related to him by blood, she would believe them. "There is more to life than fashion but I highly doubt your miniscule brain can even comprehend this."  
She studied Heike's face as well as Daniel and Gabrielle's faces. The former two had a look of confusion upon them – Edna swore she could see the wheels struggling to work so they could understand her. Only Gabrielle seemed to know what Edna was getting at, kept quiet about it nonetheless.  
"Speak understandable", Daniel demanded.  
"It's not that hard to understand", Gabrielle voiced her thought aloud. Both Daniel and Heike glared at her, causing her to quickly say: "I mean, i-it's impossible to understand."  
"Really Edna? You say words no one could possibly know the meanings of? Oh what a dweeb you are!", Heike laughed maliciously, sounding like an evil mouse – only much more annoying. She walked away with Daniel; Gabrielle hesitated but followed nonetheless. Edna sighed, so much for shutting her up... She shook her head and walked the same way as the other three did. At least school was over for the day, so she did not have to bear Heike's presence any longer.

* * *

Miranya sighed when she did the final stitch for the next rag doll rabbit. Doctor Marcel had not ordered anyone to take the next batch away in a long time. All those countless blue, eyeless rabbits were towering over her, which made the red head feel uneasy. She had no problem with talking to dead people – at least they had eyes – but those lagomorph plush animals were as unsettling as the moon and the sun coming down to Earth. Only the smallest of space was still hers. It was a miracle she managed to get out of her cells without causing an avalanche whenever she was being escorted to the bathroom facilities.  
"Just what does Doctor Marcel want to do with all these dolls? And who's sewing their eyes on?", Miranya mumbled to herself. She needed a break; she needed a dead person just so she could have someone to talk to. She did not even know what season they had, although she assumed it was summer since it was quite hot. But the weather outside did not matter; she was not going to enjoy it anyway. Doctor Marcel would rather stick a fork in his only working eye than to let her go outside.  
Miranya heard the door open and steps coming closer and closer until Anes revealed himself. He surveyed the room with such an air of superiority that he could be related to Lord Voldemort or to Draco Malfoy. His eyes, filled with disdain, fell on Miranya, who sat curled up on the floor.  
"Don't sit there, work!", he barked. Miranya glared at him while taking the materials.  
"Just what does the doctor plan to do with them?", she questioned.  
"None of your damn business! Now get to work!"  
He took an armful of the rag doll rabbits and left again. Miranya shook her head and started working again.  
Anes carried the rabbits down to a garage that had been revamped into a storage, where a few employees would give the toys the finishing touches. It was amazing how many they managed to manufacture, though it could be more if that stupid red head were not so slow. But soon, they would have enough special rag doll rabbits for the whole world, which would mean no more juvenile pranks, no childish games. Children would listen to adults and not disobey them. Everything would be the way it was supposed to be. This would be a world like how Doctor Marcel envisioned it and he, Anes, liked every microscopic tiny detail of it.  
"Here are some more", he said to a random person and dumped the rabbits he was carrying on a table. "More will be coming some time today."  
The man sitting at the table nodded silently and immediately started working on one. Others approached the table and took one or two, on which they started working too. Anes left them to look for a few colleagues he could send to collect the lagomorph dolls in Miranya's cell.

* * *

As always, Edna visited the Key Master almost immediately after school. One would think she would visit him the moment classes were over if she still had her school bag with her. However, the only things she had with her were snacks, drinks, her bikini and towels, all of which were in her rucksack. She wanted to go for a swim again, as long as the Key Master did not mind it. However, she doubted he would since it was such a hot day that even he would like to take a swim. In fact, when Edna arrived at his hideout, she found him in the water.  
"How's the water?", she grinned while taking her rucksack off her back.  
"Wet", the Key Master retorted with a smirk and splashed Edna, who was currently spreading out a beach towel.  
"Hey!", she half-exclaimed, half-laughed. "Just let me get changed –" she pointed towards the house "– then I'll come joining you."  
Edna took her bikini out of her rucksack and headed straight for the old house. Once she was inside these four walls, she took off her clothes and discarded them on the bed, right next to the Key Master's own clothes. She did not remain in her birthday suit for long as she quickly put her bikini on. It was only a little different than a birthday suit but this was the twenty-first century and not the earliest years of the twentieth century. Deciding everything that should be covered up was actually covered up, she left the house again and sped to the pond, jumping in with a jubilant yell.  
"Hey! Careful!", she heard the Key Master shout, although there was a hint of laughter in his voice. Edna smiled mischievously at him:  
"That was for the splash a few minutes ago."  
For a short moment, she could see an impish grin on his face before he grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up in the air. A shriek of surprise escaped Edna's lips when she found herself looking down at the Key Master who still had an impish grin on his face.  
"What are you going to do now?", she asked, half-exhilarated, half-nervously. Maybe it was her imagination but one his arms seemed to be struggling holding her up. She could not be that heavy, could she? The Key Master's face was twisted in pain for a few short seconds. Edna would have missed this if she had looked away or blinked. Anyway, the only verbal answer she got for her question was a maniacal laugh before he suddenly dropped her in the water. She shrieked and found herself submerged. She swam up and broke through the surface and took a deep breath.  
"What were you thinking?", she asked after coughing a few times.  
"Oh, I just thought you could need a little scare", the Key Master replied in an innocent tone. Edna glared at him and then tackled him with a war cry. However, he just barely managed to dodge her, so she ended up splashing in water.  
"How about a truce before you end up hurting yourself?", he proposed with a smug grin. Edna, whose eyes were covered by her hair, wiped her hair out of her face and replied, reluctantly as if she did not want to quit:  
"Alright."  
Once the word was out of her mouth, she let herself drift on the water with her eyes set straight up to the skies above. There was not a single cloud up there, only the golden sun, the occasional bird and the endless blue sky.  
"What did you do all day long?", she asked, turning her head to the side to look at the Key Master.  
"Except being bored to death, I was taking a walk through the forest, then I was attempting a clay figure before I decided to go for a swim", he replied as if he was talking about the weather. Edna frowned at him:  
"If you're that bored when being alone, you could go to town."  
She was not sure why she even suggested it. Perhaps she was just hoping no one would recognize him as it was the case the few times they were in town together. There had not been a single person who had looked at him twice.  
"You know of my aversion of going among people. I could be recognized as the escaped insane psycho from a few years ago."  
"And I could be recognized as the crazy girl with her stuffed rabbit who escaped from an asylum a few years ago but no one realized I was this girl", Edna countered. She watched as the Key Master nodded in acknowledgement. She could basically see and hear the wheels turning in his head as he considered what she just said. At first, she had felt nervous about going out too but soon realized there was no need to worry. Unless a person was being actively searched for, no citizen would realize a person they see on the street escaped from somewhere.  
"Well alright, I will go to town tomorrow", the Key Master relented with a sigh. Edna beamed at him:  
"You won't regret it, I promise you that."  
"Ah, let me judge that on my own, okay?"  
The Key Master swam to the shore and left the pond to sit on the beach towel. Edna followed him, taking a seat right next to him. She shivered and rubbed her arms as her body still had to get used to the temperature. The Key Master reached for a towel and handed it to her.  
"Thanks", Edna said while taking it and starting to dry herself off.  
"Can't risk you getting a cold now, can we?", the Key Master replied, taking a second towel and also drying himself off. "I can imagine you would rather enjoy the summer weather instead of lying in the bed to recuperate."  
"No kidding there."  
Edna kept the towel around her shoulders and looked up to the skies with a dreamy look on her face.  
"It would be great if I could spend a day at the beach with all my favorite people", she voiced her desire out loud. However, her smile slowly turned upside down. "But I know it would not be possible..."  
"Why wouldn't that be possible?", she could hear the concern and confusion in the Key Master's voice.  
"Because two of them are dead...", the young woman replied, her eyes still set on the place she could only reach with a pair of wings. It was only now that she realized how much she actually liked Alfred, despite all the times she teased him. He was her only friend, aside from Harvey. At times, it even seemed like he enjoyed her company – unlike his father, who always seemed to despise her company, but could barely tolerate her father's presence. Why did people only always realize what they had after it was gone?  
"And those are...?", the Key Master began asking, slowly trailing off.  
"My father and Alfred Marcel...", Edna finished for him.  
"Doctor Marcel's son!?"  
"Yeah... I had to play with him frequently... but I never realized before I liked him instead of hated him", Edna said in a reminiscing voice.  
"And what about your mother?", the Key Master questioned. That was a legitimate question, Edna thought. She could barely remember her mother, as if the memories of her were hidden in a safe and she lost the combination for it.  
"I was very small when I lost her but... I think I would count her among my favorite people if I could remember her", Edna replied after her short consideration.  
"And who are the others?"  
"Harvey, of course, but also Hoti and Moti, Aluman, Drogglejug, Lilli, my two classmates Bianca and Sebastian, Tina, my colleague Anika and her boyfriend Gregor. Perhaps the Beeman and Gerret too", Edna counted off. A fond smile spread across her face when she named her the final person: "And you."  
The Key Master could not hide his astonishment. He probably did not expect to be among the people she liked the most, even though it should be obvious. Why else would she come visit him on a daily basis if she did not like him? It was hard for her to imagine spending her free time in the park instead of here. At least, the probability of her meeting Heike here was exceptionally low.  
"I feel honored", the Key Master admitted. "And I have to say, you're among my favorite persons, too."  
"I'm glad", Edna beamed.

* * *

A day passed and the Key Master currently took a nice walk in the park. He had promised to Edna he would go to town if he was bored and he was going to keep it. Actually, he felt more at ease and better after he got used to his surroundings. Before, he felt confined on the small patch of land he called his hideout but now he did not fee like a prisoner anymore. Despite his peculiar skin tone, no one paid any attention to him; perhaps they would if he was still as green as he was after the escape from the asylum. However, the Key Master still did not attempt to speak to anyone. He did not know how to approach a stranger anymore – at least if it did not involve killing them – and he would not know what to say. Not having any contact with other people for more than a decade was inconvenient for his social life.  
The Key Master decided to sit on a bench, right next to a playground, and simply watched passersby walking past. At first, he feared he would be recognized by someone, an elderly man or woman perhaps. But the moment he realized he had nothing to fear, he relaxed and actually took a liking to going out. It sure was better to see different scenery than the one he saw over the last couple of weeks. If only he had a job and money, then he could perhaps enjoy some things in life he would to pay for – like an ice cream or a visit to a movie theater. He had not seen any moving picture on the big screen for over a decade. Sometimes while he was still on the run, he would see posters for the newest movies but he could not tell based on the posters alone whether it was a good film or not. Once, for example, he saw the poster for a movie about monsters attending a university or another time, he saw one depicting a man and a woman, both who threw rather peculiar shadows – the man a mouse and the woman another woman with an umbrella and a big bag. The Key Master could not remember the titles of the movies but the posters did look interesting. But it made no sense to cry over spilt milk. One day, he would be able to do all these he could not do ever since he ended up in solitary confinement.  
Having sat around enough, the Key Master got back up to his feet and sauntered the path down, while enjoying the sun's warm rays on his skin. If only he had a car, he would take it for a spin. The day was just perfect for sitting in a vehicle with opened windows and driving to nowhere in particular with putting the pedal to the metal. He would gladly accept an offer to drive a nifty vehicle if he were given one, even if it was just being the designated driver of a group attending a wild party. But the Key Master never saw the appeal in boozing one another under the table, the crappy way one felt afterwards was not worth it. He did like to drink alcoholic beverages when he had the chance to but he could do without the hangover. Besides, he would take driving over drinking any day. Oh yes driving...

* * *

"Hey Harvey?"  
It was late Friday night, or rather the early hours of Saturday morning. Edna lay wide awake in her bed, unable to sleep. The lagomorph only replied with a grunt, so Edna continued:  
"I'm sorry I snapped at you the other day. I guess I was just mad..."  
"Ah, it's okay, Edna. You were mad and mad people do tend to say things they don't mean", Harvey chirped.  
"Thank you for being so acquiescent", the humanoid female smiled.  
"Yeah, yeah, but if you don't let me sleep, I won't be so acquiescent."  
Edna chuckled and snuggled under her bedcovers, drifting off to sleep and to the land of dreams...  
She was heading for the asylum and she was a lot younger, approximately five or six years old. Her father held one of her hands while she was clutching Harvey with her other. Mattis led her through the entrance area to the ground floor. Everything seemed so gigantic but also empty. There were no decorations, with the exception of one humongous painting and several smaller ones surrounding it. The biggest picture depicted a whale with its mouth wide open, showing its razor-sharp teeth. In front of it was a single green chair.  
"You wait here", Mattis instructed Edna. He put his hands under her armpits and heaved her on the chair. "I'll go talk with Doctor Marcel. I'll be right back."  
Edna watched her father going upstairs. Now all alone with only Harvey as her companion, she took in her surroundings. She felt so small, insignificant, and lonely, as if she was a tiny little mouse in a grand old castle. Every now and then, she would turn around to look at the whale that was seemingly about to devour her behind her. She shuddered. Just why did the only chair in the room have to be in front of a giant water-dwelling mammal with razor teeth?  
"Come on, Edna. Let's take a look around", Harvey suggested.  
"Okay", the little girl simply replied. Anything to get away from this painting before it actually ate her. Besides, she was against the therapy her father wanted her to have; she did not need it. So, she jumped off the chair and ran up the stairs. The next floor was as empty as the ground floor with the exception of a single suit of armor right next to a grate separating this part of the floor with the part where the patients would spend their time outside their cells. Shapeless shadows glared at her from behind the grate, hushed whispers followed her every movement. They would be grabbing for her, she just knew it. One shadow moved, Edna jumped back. No, she would not remain on this floor any longer. She ran up to the next floor, which she gave a quick once-over. A sigh of relief escaped her when she saw no shadows and heard no whispers. But, like the previous floor, a grate posed as a barrier to another part of the room. Behind the grate were five doors leading to where Edna guessed the patients would be sleeping... or those were more rooms for them to spend their free time in. Edna was partly curious to see what was behind there, but she was also scared of the patients. Perhaps there was something on this side of the grate. After all, there were two doors here; she pondered where they led to. The first door was on the left of the grate, a simple ordinary wooden door.  
"What do you think is behind there, Harv?", she asked her blue friend.  
"Explosives! Chainsaws! An army of killer robots from Venus!", he happily exclaimed. "Come on! Open the door!"  
Edna grabbed the door handle and pushed it down but the door did not open. She tried it again rapidly a few times before coming to the realization it was locked. Damn! She would have liked to see what Doctor Marcel was hiding in there. If only she had something small with her to pick the lock. Edna sighed while Harvey complained about not being able to enter the room. However, he soon spotted the other door on this side of the grate. This one was to the right of the stairs. Cables were running from this door over the ceiling to somewhere behind the grate.  
"Let's see what's in there!", Harvey demanded.  
"Okay", Edna agreed and walked towards the door. The stairs to the next floor, she noticed, were blocked – a sign and two pots of turquoise paint told her they were freshly painted. Edna took a good look at the door. This one had, unlike the other one, a sign, a yellow one depicting a triangle and a lightning bolt. What could this possibly mean? Whatever it was, it had to be exciting. So, once again she reached for the door handle and...  
"Edna!"  
She let her hand drop to see her father and an older man, presumably Doctor Marcel, coming up the stairs. Edna was puzzled. Where exactly did they come from? She had not seen them anywhere on the previous floor. But then again, she had not really looked around since the patients made her feel uneasy. Perhaps there was room they were in she simply missed.  
"Edna, what are you doing? Didn't I tell you to wait downstairs for me?", Mattis reprimanded his daughter.  
"Yes, but I –",she started only to be interrupted by Doctor Marcel:  
"I see what you mean. I could arrange a cell for her in less than a week."  
Mattis opened his mouth for a response but Edna woke up before she could hear it...  
The young woman sat up, staring at her lap with a frown. Was this another memory? She gazed at Harvey sleeping peacefully right next to her. She considered waking him and telling him about it but quickly decided against it. It was late at night and he certainly would not like to woken for any reason other than the opportunity to cause mayhem. There was always time in the morning. Edna lay back down again and went back to sleep.

Edna ate a bowl of cornflakes for breakfast while reading the newest issue of the _Captain Useless_ comic books. Tina had already eaten and was currently shopping for groceries with a remark of how quickly they suddenly seem to be running out of them. Edna did her best to hide her guilty face, though she was not sure whether she succeeded or not. If the time was ripe for it, she would tell her housemate about the Key Master. But not yet, not until he was ready to be introduced to other people. Even then, she was going to be careful who she would introduce the Key Master to, although she would prefer if she could use his real name and not his nickname. But, alas, he either still had not remembered it or he did not want to tell her. If this was the latter, then it was probably some gruesome name that would be torture for the person to have. She hoped it was not the case and that he simply had not remembered yet. Oh well, she could simply ask him when she visited him later. But first, she had to tell Harvey – who was still sleeping when she woke up – about her dream. Only he would know if this was a memory of hers. Edna finished her breakfast and returned to her room.  
"Harvey? I need to speak with you..."  
"Yes, what is it, Edna?"  
The blue lagomorph had a concerned look in his eyes and the worry in his voice was evident. There was also, barely noticeable, a hint of fear in his voice. Was he afraid she had something terrible to tell him? Edna cleared her throat and began talking about her dream.  
"Do you think this was another memory?", she asked after she finished telling him about her dream.  
"Yes. Yes, it is", Harvey confirmed. "Mattis wanted you to go through a therapy because you were such a wild child."  
"But I can't remember going through any therapy, at least not until after Alfred's death and that was when I was in the asylum", Edna said, frowning in confusion. "Did Mattis change his mind?"  
"I don't know but I think so", Harvey admitted. "But didn't you find a box full of your parents' stuff the night the Key Master found you?"  
"Yeah, you're right", Edna nodded. Her eyes widened in realization. "Maybe I can find something in there!"  
She jumped off her bed and pulled the old cardboard box, which she had stored under her bed, out and heaved it onto her bed, between herself and Harvey. She opened the box, first seeing the old photo album she briefly looked through that night. Suddenly feeling a little saddened, she stared at the album for a long time until she heard Harvey call her name. Edna shook her head to clear her mind.  
"Sorry buddy", she mumbled her apology and put the old album down. Then she peered into the box again, finding another book. She took it out, finding another one under this one, which she also reached out for. Both books were old, though the second one looked like it had been used far more often than the first one. The first book had a brown leather cover and the other one was lavender blue with dark purple and midnight blue spiral patterns. These books seemed to be diaries since they both had locks, making it impossible to open them unless one had the keys.  
"Use a hammer", Harvey suggested.  
"No, Harv. I don't wanna destroy anything that belonged to my parents", Edna declined. She looked into the box again while Harvey mumbled, more to himself than to her: "You didn't care when you were little."  
Edna ignored him while searching through the box under all the loose papers, most of which seemed to be her old drawings. Deciding it was hopeless to search for the keys like that, she took all the sheets of paper and took them out. She placed them next to the photo album before looking back into the box, where she found two small keys, one bronze, the other silver.  
"Those have to be the right keys!", Edna exclaimed. She took these keys and examined them, finding, to her relief, they were in a much better state than her old front door key. Otherwise, she would have needed to make two key imprints and melt enough metal to make two new keys.  
"Then let's see what's written in those diaries", she happily said to herself. First, she tried the silver key with the leather diary only to find it did not fit, so she tried the bronze one. A click told her it was unlocked. Smirking to herself in satisfaction, she did the same with the silver key and the lavender blue diary. She took the leather diary again and opened the first page.

 _Property of Mattis Konrad_

"That's my father's diary!", Edna called out in astonishment. Having an inkling whose diary the other one was, she made a grab for it and quickly opened its first page.

 _Property of Vivian Rohrbeck Konrad_

"I knew it", Edna breathed. She turned the pages of both diaries, their respective first entries were at different dates. Mattis's entry was about two years before her birth while her mother already wrote in hers seven years prior to her birth. Her eyes shifted back and forth between the two diaries, having trouble deciding which one to read first.  
"What's the matter, Edna? If there was a reason why Mattis didn't let you go through the therapy, you will most certainly find it in his diary", Harvey remarked.  
"I know but...", Edna sighed, "... I would like to read everything my parents had ever written..."  
She took them both, glancing back and forth before finally setting her purple eyes on Vivian's diary. Excitement and a little bit of nervousness erupted inside of her when she took the book and started reading the first entry:

 _May 4th, 1983_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _This is my first entry in my new diary and already I have something exciting to tell! I met someone at the fair today. He wasn't particularly good looking, he was lanky and tall but he was one of the nicest people I ever met. His name is Mattis Konrad and he was so kind to pay for cotton candy for me when I couldn't find my money. We talked a little and he told me he just moved here for his job. We had arranged a meeting next Friday, so I can show him the village and get to know him better. I can hardly wait!_

Edna smiled fondly while reading. It seemed her mother already took a liking to her father the moment they met. Oh, if only she could remember what their marriage was like. Nevertheless, Edna was sure it was a happy one, albeit one that was cut short. She continued reading about her mother's young life, about her job – she was a teacher in a daycare center – and also about the time she spent with friends and family and, of course, how she got to know more of Mattis. With every entry, it seemed, she liked him more and more until...

 _October 18th, 1983_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Mattis and I took a walk through the forest today. It was such a beautiful day with the sun giving a golden touch to the red and yellow leaves. He helped me collect a couple of chestnuts for the children. Then he took me out to a café, a rather cozy one at that, and he told me about his plans for the future. All my other boyfriends always wanted to become well-known sportsmen, especially in soccer, which can get really boring. I hate sports! But Mattis wasn't like that. He just wants a job he enjoys – he mentioned he loves writing – and a wife and children. When he told me that, I realized I just did not like him – I've fallen in love with him! But how can I tell him? I don't want to destroy our friendship._

Edna just finished reading this entry when she heard Tina returning from shopping. She was gone for quite a long time, almost two hours, as a quick glance at the clock told Edna. Normally, her housemate needed far less time to buy groceries, even when the store was overrun by elderly people. Edna put her mother's diary down, stood up and left her room for the kitchen.  
"Welcome back", she greeted Tina, who just closed the refrigerator door. "You were gone for quite a long time."  
"Yeah", the blond shrugged. "I was also at the boutique – I needed a new shirt – and had trouble deciding on one in my size that I actually liked."  
"I see. Anyway, I think I'm going out now", Edna responded only to realize she was still in her pajamas. Thus, she added: "After I got dressed."  
She headed back to her room to get her everyday clothes and then made her way to the bathroom. After she was washed and dressed, she took Harvey, her mother's diary, her phone, some money, something to drink and her keys with her and left the apartment, but not without saying "see you later" to Tina. Edna took the elevator down to the ground floor but, before she left the building, she made a detour to the basement and quickly got the small parts needed for assembling the drawers together. She and the Key Master would get the rest of it at night, when everyone in town was fast asleep. Every sane person would comment on the inefficiency of this method; however she did not really care about this. She had long accepted she was not the sanest person in the world but she was certainly not insane... at least not insane enough to be stuck in an asylum, even if she did kill a boy but this was an accident. Anyway, she left the building and headed for the Key Master's place – with a little detour to a store to buy more art supplies for him.

"Key Master? Are you home?"  
Edna knocked a few times on the door only to receive no answer at all. She wondered if he was perhaps outdoors, somewhere nearby. Therefore, she decided to walk around the perimeters and climbed up the hill, observing the surrounding area from the higher point. Unfortunately, she seemed to be the only living being around, with the exception of the birds flying in the sky, the plants and the insects. Where was he? She was always sure she would find him around here but now...? Then again, she did tell him he could go to town every now and then and perhaps he was there at the moment. This could be the only explanation. Oh well, she was, admittedly, too lazy to go back and look for him. The Key Master was sure to come back sooner or later and until, she was going to continue reading the old diary.  
Edna descended the hill and sat down under the shade of the tree with Harvey next to her. After getting comfortable, she took out her mother's old diary, opened the last page she read and continued reading. Vivian described in her old writings the fun she had in her job, what she did with her friends in her free time and her growing love for Mattis. It even got to the point where she wrote about naughty thoughts she had about him. Edna's cheeks took on a light pink tint, which got darker and darker the more she read.

 _December 24th, 1983_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today is officially one of my favorite days! My parents invited Mattis over to our house and we all spent all morning decorating the house and the Christmas tree. Everything looked so lovely. We had a light lunch and then watched a Christmas movie. Me and Mattis built a snowman together after the movie but we couldn't find a carrot, so it got an apple for a nose. It looked like someone punched it right in the nose, heehee. We all gathered together in the living room in the evening. Dad played the piano and we all sang Christmas carols together. Mattis had a horrible singing voice, still we all had fun. Then we exchanged Christmas presents – I got a new Elton John record from my parents, a beautiful dress from Maria and Mattis wrote a short story for me. I can't wait to read it! Mom and Dad got a weekend in a wellness hotel from me and my sister. Maria got the bracelet she's been wanting for weeks. She was so happy I couldn't stop smiling. And as for Mattis, he got a painting I made for his house from me. His house is really in need of some decorations. But, after everyone went to sleep, I got a second present from him. It was such a beautiful starry night, so we went out to stargaze and under the twinkling stars, he told me he's in love with me! Oh, I can't describe how happy I am! I told him I feel the same. Now we are officially together!_

Edna felt so happy for her mother, even if it was over thirty years ago. It was like Vivian was right next to her and told her about all this herself and Edna was so happy to learn more about her maternal family she never got to know. Before this day, Edna did not even know she had an aunt. Where was she? What was she like? Edna just had to find out. Perhaps there was hint about her whereabouts in this diary. So, she kept reading more and more about the life of her mother she could barely remember. With each entry, the affection Edna felt for Vivian intensified, even though she did feel embarrassed about the naughty parts. The worst was when Vivian described the intimate moments of her relationship in great detail. Edna, whose blush was now a dark shade of red, wondered when this became erotic literature. She wanted to skip those parts but could not and she did not even know why. It was like one was at the scene of a car crash – the person wants to look away but cannot.  
"Just why wasn't there a warning label?", Edna questioned herself in a weak voice after she finished reading a rather intense entry of Vivian's intimate relations with Mattis. She never expected her father being so... a love-maker or that her mother had no problem writing about all this.  
"Edna?"  
The unexpected appearance of the Key Master, who just came from between the trees of the woods, made Edna jump and she let the diary fall. Still red in the face, she stared at him and chuckled nervously.  
"H-hey, where did you come from?", she asked while picking up the lavender blue diary.  
"I was taking a walk through town", the Key Master replied with a questioning look. "And what are you doing here?"  
"I wanted to visit you and when I realized you weren't here, I decided to... well... um...", Edna bit her bottom lip and kept glancing at the diary in her hands.  
"You decided to read this book", the Key Master finished for her, nodding towards the book. "What are you so nervous about? Aren't you supposed to read it?"  
"I wouldn't say that", Edna mumbled, averting her eyes. She could not directly into his eyes; the naughty writings were still too fresh in her mind. She felt so embarrassed being caught reading them, even though the Key Master did not what exactly she had been reading the whole time. Admittedly, she did not want to tell him... at least not without the sudden wish to go into exile.  
"Then why are you so nervous? Did you assimilate information you didn't want to know?"  
"You could say that."  
Edna grinned awkwardly while the Key Master had a baffled look on his face.  
"Is it hot in here, hehehe?", the young woman asked, fanning air to herself with her hand.  
"We are outdoors", the Key Master dryly pointed out.  
"Oh yes, that's right..."  
He suddenly walked up to her stopping only a few centimeters in front of her and towering over her. He had a dangerous glint in his eyes.  
"What is the matter with you? You've been acting weirdly the whole time! If you don't want to tell me, you may as well leave!"  
Edna flinched at his shouting. She did not know what was worse – this or the way he scared her in the church all those years ago. Maybe she was behaving ridiculously, but she could not bring herself to reveal the whole truth. She saw nothing wrong in admitting she was reading her mother's diary, it were only certain parts she was embarrassed about.  
"Well?"  
Edna gulped; she tried to mentally encourage herself before looking up to meet his eyes.  
"I... I was reading my mom's diary", she confessed at last. The Key Master raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced this was all there was to it.  
"Don't tell me that's the only reason."  
"Let's just say, there are things about parents you really don't wanna know. Please don't ask me to specify", Edna pleaded. She looked at the Key Master with big puppy eyes, something she usually preferred not to do. It always gave her the feeling she was a spoiled brat but she just could not think of another way to emphasize how much she did not want to talk about this.  
"Alright, I won't ask", the Key Master sighed.  
"Thanks", Edna replied, smiling in relief. "Oh yes, I've got something for you."  
She put the diary back into her inventory and then took out the art supplies she bought earlier. With a grin, she gave those items to the man right in front of her.  
"In case you ever want to express yourself artistically", Edna explained. "And with that I mean without the need of clay and the necessary things you need to work with clay."  
"Well, it would give me a greater variety to express myself artistically", the Key Master nodded, looking at the items he was holding. Edna had given him a sketch-pad, pencils, erasers and sharpeners. "I can store those in the closet until the drawer parts are here and assembled."  
"I got the small parts here, we could get the rest tonight. If I could find a metal that's easy to melt, I could also make a copy of the apartment key for you to get the table and chairs during the week."  
"How about you buy jewelry? It's usually made of gold, isn't it?"  
"Yeah, but the nearest jewelry store happens to be the favorite place of Heike's, whenever she's not in the park. And I don't want to risk her seeing me."  
Edna paced back and forth, trying to think of another way to gain access to metal. Wait a minute, did Tina not store extra keys for both the building and their apartment somewhere? Perhaps Edna could get them. Why did she not think about this sooner? It did not matter now, she quickly told the Key Master about the spare keys and promised to search for them later.  
"Alright. Now then, how about we bring everything you brought me to the house and then we can do something together?", he said.  
"Sounds good to me", Edna answered with a smile. She turned around and bent down to grab Harvey and then, she walked with the Key Master to his house. Her eyes wandered around the room, noting it had not changed much. The only things that had changed were the new closet, which she eyed with apprehension, the fairytale book on the old table, the ice box between bed and closet, and the wood of the old closet next to the fireplace. Edna wondered what the Key Master planned to do with them. On the floor were several articles of clothing in one heap.  
"Oh yes, do you suppose you could wash them for me?", the Key Master asked when he noticed her looking at the heap.  
"Sure, no problem", Edna replied while the Key Master opened the closet. She noticed there were still a lot of empty spaces in there. The garments that were in this closet were all neatly folded and stored in the shelves. Edna was glad to see there was no one inside the object for storing clothing. She felt unsettled whenever she was around a closet with enough empty space to lock a person in there and she doubted she would ever get over it.  
"Are you feeling well? You don't look so good", the Key Master remarked in worry. Apparently, the fears she felt were reflected in her eyes. Edna shook her head with a half-smile.  
"I'm not feeling unwell. It's just that...", she trailed off, unsure how to say it. In retrospect, her fear of closets and cupboard seemed to be ludicrous, unless the origins were known. When she still did not resume speaking, the Key Master approached her and looked intently into her eyes. Edna gulped when reciprocated his gaze.  
"Don't you want to tell me?"  
There was something in his voice that gave her the courage to tell him what the matter with her was:  
"Closets kind of scare me."  
The Key Master gently led her to the bed and let her sit down; he took a seat next to her and put an arm comfortingly around her shoulders.  
"Do you want to talk about this?"  
Edna did not say anything for a while, she did not know how to begin. It all happened more than fifteen years ago, when her age was still written with a single-digit number. How would the Key Master react? It would certainly give him another reason to hate Doctor Marcel.  
"The night you were at my house... did you see any more rooms than the one you found me in?"  
"Um yes", he replied perplexed. "Let me think... the hallway, the bathroom and a room that looks like a classroom."  
"Yeah, me and Alfred used to have private lessons... Doctor Marcel paid our teacher to disadvantage me and to not let me leave earlier under no circumstances, especially when the weather outside was great. Our teacher locked me into the cupboard every day and there were times when he did not let me out until the lessons for the day were over. Sometimes, he even did not let me out at all..."  
She told him all this in a low voice. The memory of being locked in a dark, claustrophobic space still haunted her to this day. She could not understand why Doctor Marcel had it out for her even when his son was still alive. Well, she teased Alfred and was quite wild but was not about every child like this? There was a chance for her to mature if only given the chance...  
She heard nothing from the Key Master, although he held her a little more closely. She glanced at Harvey, who she still held in her arms. He looked up at her with sad eyes; she knew he was as horrified about this injustice as she was. The Key Master placed a hand on her hand, causing her to look at him. She noticed by the looks of his eyes he felt sorry for her.  
"Didn't your father ever say anything?"  
"No... he didn't even know about this and I never told him..."  
Edna was grateful the Key Master did not ask her for a reason, even she did not know why she never told Mattis. He just held in silence and that was what she needed. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes in content. She felt how he rested his head against hers and she felt how he moved his hand from his spot on her hand over her arm to her back. The arm he had around her shoulders moved downwards, so that he ended up embracing her.  
"Thanks", Edna quietly said with a tiny smile.  
"For what?", the Key Master questioned. Edna leaned back to look into his dark green eyes.  
"Just for being there for me", she replied She snaked her arms around his middle, their upper bodies pressed against each other, although there was something soft between them. She could actually get used to this.  
"Edna, you're squashing me", Harvey spoke up in a weak voice. Once again, Edna put a little distance between her upper body and the Key Master's and noticed the soft object between their bodies was Harvey.  
"Sorry buddy", Edna apologized. "But you're made of terry cloth, it wouldn't hurt you at all."  
"Still doesn't mean I have to like it", the blue lagomorph mumbled. Edna sighed and shook her in exasperation before turning her attention back to the Key Master:  
"How about we store the items I brought for you in the closet and then just do something together?"  
"Alright with me", the Key Master nodded, retracting his arms from her. They both stood up, he stored the art supplies and tiny parts for the drawers in the closet while she packed his clothes in need of washing and the cordless drill into her inventory. Once they were done with what they needed to do, they left the house. Leisurely, they sauntered through the forest to town. Edna wanted to discard the objects she would not need at the moment in her apartment. The Key Master would be waiting for her down the street – they agreed to meet up near the old corner store. So, he went there while she continued her way back home, where she found the apartment devoid of any life. Edna decided to use the opportunity to wash the Key Master's clothes; she had a couple of clothes that are in need of a wash, too. Harvey did not like the idea of her washing anything and, admittedly, she did not really like it either but she knew it had to be done. There were worse things in the world – padded cells, correction of character and memory erasure coming to her mind immediately. Without complaining out loud but in silence, she put the dirty and smelly clothes into the washing machine and got everything ready for washing. The moment the garments were in the process of getting clean again, she left the bathroom, charged the cordless drill and looked for the spare keys. She knew they were somewhere in the living room but forgot where exactly. Oh well, at least she did not have to look through the whole apartment, though she did so after all. The first place Edna checked in the living room after looking everywhere else was the cupboard, to no avail. Then she went through the shelves but there were only movies and video games, so she was quick to abandon the shelves. Lastly, she looked in the drawers, where she found them.  
"I should have known this", Edna commented while taking them. "It's always the last place one checks..."  
"Do you really think it's a good idea to give the Key Master free access to our apartment?", Harvey questioned her... and probably her sanity. "Don't forget, he is a psycho."  
"Oh Harv, he hasn't shown any psychotic tendencies in a long time", Edna disregarded the blue rabbit's doubts. "He has changed and you know it."  
Edna received no reply from Harvey, except some incoherent grumbling. He did not like the Key Master at all, so she did not torment herself with thoughts of unexpected and dangerous visits in the middle of night that would end fatally. But, like she said, he had changed; it was unlikely he would do any of this.  
The washing machine had already finished its task of cleaning the garments, so Edna hurried to hang them up for drying. A quick detour to her room to discard her mother's diary on her bed later, Edna left the apartment and the building and strolled down the street to the corner store.  
"Hello Princess", were the two words the Key Master greeted her with. The exact same words he used the first time they ever met. She would have never thought back then he would become one of her dearest friends, especially not after a certain incident that had been mentioned in this story quite often.  
"Hello to you too", Edna responded. "But tell me, why do you keep calling me 'Princess'? There's nothing royal about me."  
"What would you rather be called?", the pale green man asked while avoiding to answer her question.  
"I don't actually care as long as it's not offending. But I would still like an answer."  
The female member of the species Homo sapiens gave the male member a penetrating look. Her mouth formed a straight thin line and she stemmed her fists on her hips. She tried to appear tall, which would perhaps work if she was wearing high heels but since she was not wearing any, the effect was lost.  
"If you insist", the Key Master relented with a shrug. "It was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw you the first time."  
Edna made a dumbfounded face. How in the world could someone think of royalty when seeing her, especially the way she looked when she escaped the asylum? There was no member of a royal family, whether real or fictional, she resembled. She was not sure if she ought to feel flattered or not.  
"Um, how about we go to a café?", she suggested, mostly to avoid commenting on his answer. The Key Master raised his eyebrows at her, like he knew why she said that. Nevertheless, he did not press this topic on.  
"Sure, but you pay, Princess."  
"Fine by me."

* * *

The maiden name of Edna's mother - Rohrbeck - is named after the German voice actor Oliver Rohrbeck. As a child/adolescent he was Pinocchio in the 1971 German dub of the eponymous movie and as Thumper in the 1973 German dub of _Bambi_. As an adult, he was Agent Pleakley in the _Lilo & Stitch_ franchise and Gru in the _Despicable Me_ movies.


	11. A Cave, A House, A Pursuer

**Chapter Eleven**

 **A Cave, A House, A Pursuer**

A one hour drive away from Edna and the Key Master's location was Ben, making himself comfortable in his home. The young man returned from a shift at the local asylum barely half an hour ago. He hated his job and the way the patients were treated by most employees and their employer. How could people act so inhuman towards the inmates just because they had a few screws loose? This did not mean they were unable to feel or think anything and Ben was sure, the patients did not like the way they were treated at all, even if some seemed to have a permanent smile plastered on their faces. Besides, Ben always thought people like them were put in an asylum for them to get help and not to be tormented. He remembered on his first day of work, how someone once mentioned some bloke almost managed to escape but was caught and Doctor Marcel broke his legs and then locked him up and let him starve. Even if the patients tried to break out, this was certainly no way to treat a person. Ben would like to look for a new job, but he felt at least one person should be kind to the mental institution's inmates. They were actually fun to be around and they were kind if one was nice to them. If he could find the time, he would visit them in the recreation room and just talk or play a board game with them. He noticed three he usually saw had suddenly disappeared one day; the Beeman told him they were escorted to some unknown place and had not been seen by anyone since then. Ben often wondered where they were and why they were taken away. What was Doctor Marcel planning? Well, whatever it was, he doubted it was anything good.  
"Darling, I'm home!", he heard his girlfriend call from the hallway. She appeared a second later in the living room and sat down next to him. Ben put an arm around Amy, holding her close.  
"Hard day?"  
"You have no idea", the young therapist sighed. "Do you remember that guy who calls himself King Adrian?" She looked questioningly at Ben. When he nodded, she continued: "He kept trying to convince me to join him and a few others in their tabletop role play game until they realized they were in the middle of a therapy session."  
"How did they miss this? What was the session about?"  
"Addiction to games."  
Amy sighed and stood up, announcing she was going to take a bath while leaving the room. Ben looked at his watch before deciding to prepare dinner for the two of them. It was not every day this couple could eat together because of Amy often doing therapy session in towns and cities far away from this village. Ben opted to make beef steak since this happened to be Amy's favorite dish and they were on special offer in the supermarket. But before he prepared the meat, he started peeling the potatoes. He did not have to peel many, seeing it was only the two of them and if he cooked too many potatoes, they would just end up in the pot, which would stand on the stove for days until only a person who wanted to end up in a hospital would eat them. Most of the time, they either ate microwavable food or order a pizza. Ben just finished the task of peeling the potatoes when the phone rang. Seeing he was the only one currently able to answer, he picked up the receiver:  
"Ben Schoenfelder speaking."  
The voice on the other line was a pleasantly familiar one:  
"Hi Ben. Is Amy present?"  
"Hey Anika. Amy is home but she's taking a bath at the moment. Shall I tell her she should call you back?"  
"Tomorrow morning, preferably. My work shift starts soon."  
"Okay, bye."  
"Bye."  
He hung up and went back to making dinner. Anika was Amy's little sister and he got along with her quite well; he saw her as the little sister he never had.

* * *

The Key Master and Edna sat in a corner of a café, both having just given their orders. He used the time he waited for his orders to give the interior a once-over. The café was mainly kept in dark colors, with the floors, the wall panels and tables and chairs made of mahogany. The cushions of the seats were leaf-green. In his opinion, the interior designer would never win an award with this but he preferred this over any padded cell. This place could perhaps do with some pictures on the walls or plants to give it a little more life... and to make it not look so empty. Of course, he was no expert, it was just he was sick of seeing only empty walls.  
"Edna", the Key Master spoke up. His dark haired companion, who also took her time looking around, turned her attention to him. "You once told me you were in a convent school after you found out the truth about your past, right?" Edna confirmed this with a nod. "Tell me about your time there."  
"Oh well, there's not much to say", she started, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wasn't sure if those guys from the convent would know that I was one of the escaped loonies from the local asylum. Luckily, they did not realize this by looking at me but I told them my last name was 'Kaiser'. My number one priority was to stay away from the mental institution; there I kept a low profile – believe it or not. Well, there were times when I set some things ablaze, unintentionally of course, or when I broke into the firefighter museum. But I doubt anyone ever figured out my real identity, except my friend Lilli and that's only because I told her. Oh man, I miss her..."  
Edna sighed and stared up at the ceiling. The Key Master, who listened attentively, could hardly believe that Edna, of all people, would keep a low profile. She was not afraid of defiling or even destroying other people's properties – about every item one could interact with in _Edna And Harvey: The Breakout_ came to mind. Then again, she once mentioned she lost Harvey before coming to the convent school. Perhaps her destructive tendencies were downplayed with the lack of a blue rabbit. Still, it made no sense to him she would tell even one person the truth about herself. Would it not make more sense if none knew of her past?  
"And why did you tell this Lilli the truth?", the Key Master questioned.  
"I didn't tell her immediately, only after I got to know her and we became friends. I could trust her with my past without her running off and telling anyone", Edna explained. "And she never did... until the day Mother Superior let Doctor Marcel come to the school. He used hypnosis on Lilli and made her reveal I was there. Alright, I already fled by this time; I was told about this after the whole ordeal."  
It seemed the Key Master missed a lot of things while he was looking for Edna in the completely wrong places. He silently pondered how her confrontations with the mad doctor went. The only thing he could be sure of was that it ended well, more or less, for Edna. Otherwise, she would not be sitting opposite of him. Nonetheless, he would like to know the details, which he was quick to mention. Before the young woman could reply, however, a waiter appeared with their orders. He placed a caramel cappuccino and a slice of blueberry pie in front of the Key Master and hot chocolate and chocolate cake in front of Edna, giving her a flirty wink. The Key Master narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, suddenly having the urge to pummel this guy. He watched him leave, imagining how he would break all of his bones in a freak accident.  
"Uh Key Master? You're so green... Are you okay?", a concerned Edna inquired.  
"I'm perfectly fine", he replied tensely. He angrily got a bit of the pie on the dessert fork as if he was chopping off somebody's head. The more feminine former inmate of an asylum made a skeptical face as he noticed a second later.  
"What?", he asked, rather defensively.  
"I don't believe you're fine. You're greener than usual, your mouth is a thin line and you look like you're bursting with anger. All signs you're mad, except the first one. Green skin is usually a sign someone's feeling sick", Edna said all this in a rapid voice, like she was reading off a cue card behind the Key Master. She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at him. "Now then, won't you tell me what's bothering you? Or do I have to force you?"  
He glared at Edna. What made her think she could make him tell her whatever she wanted to know? It was his business, not hers. If he opted not to say anything, he did not have to explain himself.  
"Well?"  
"I don't see why I should explain myself to you", the Key Master coldly retorted. Edna glared at him before she averted her eyes and instead started to eat her delicious looking chocolate cake, albeit with sagging shoulders.  
"I was only worried about you, that's all", she miserably muttered, slowly picking at her food. The Key Master suddenly felt bad about his harsh words. She only meant well and he had to act like some stupid and ungrateful bastard. His behavior was almost as inexcusable as the behavior he showed in the past.  
"Sorry", he apologized. Edna shook her head:  
"No, I shouldn't have been so pushy."  
"That was still no reason for me to be so cold towards you."  
A tiny smile spread across Edna's face as she glanced up at him.  
"Let's just say we both have a reason to apologize", she said, making the Key Master chuckle.  
"Deal", he agreed with her suggestion. Then, at the same time as Edna, he added "I'm sorry."  
Edna giggled, barely managing to pronounce the word "jinxed". The Key Master had no clue what this meant and, frankly, he did not really care. Seeing this young woman laughing and grinning joyously made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, for some inexplicable reason. A little bit of ignorance was a small price to pay and, besides, he could always ask her later.

* * *

Back to Ben and Amy, who were currently eating dinner in their living room while the news were on air on television. They only listened with one ear to the news; they were more focused on consuming beef steaks, potatoes and vegetables. The dining table was in front of the fireplace, close enough to feel the warmth when a fire was burning but far enough away for the table to not catch any flames. On the mantelpiece were a couple of photos of them on dates or on vacation. Between two pictures was a small gargoyle Ben bought while he was on vacation in England a couple of months before he met Amy. He loved the few weeks he spent there. Admittedly, he hoped he could go there again on vacation but this time, with his girlfriend accompanying him.  
"Your sister called earlier", Ben told his girlfriend. "She wants you to call her back tomorrow morning."  
"Why not now?", Amy inquired.  
"Her work shift", were the only three words her boyfriend said. Comprehension dawned on the woman's face and she simply nodded. They knew Anika had her phone with her wherever she was but they were also aware she would be too busy with her job to answer and by the time her shift was over, both Ben and Amy were in the land of dreams. Nevertheless, Amy wondered what her sister wanted to talk about. Normally, Anika would come over for a visit every second weekend and they would have conversations about how life had been treating them. Aside from Ben, Anika was the only person who knew of her dislike for working for Doctor Marcel the few cases she got to hold a therapy session at his institution. Even her boyfriend entrusted her younger sister with his hatred for working for this bitter old man. If they would not talk to someone about this, they would loose their minds. Fortunately, Anika was willing to listen and, in turn, confided in them when she needed help. Those three helped each other out, no matter how miserable they were feeling.  
The young couple finished their dinner and brought the dirty dishes to the kitchen, storing them in the dishwasher. Afterwards they returned to the living room and got comfortable on the black leather couch. Ben reached for the remote on the oak coffee table and zapped through the channels until he found some action film on one channel. Amy, meanwhile, skimmed through the television program.  
"Just leave this one on, there's nothing of interest on TV today", she commented, throwing the magazine on the table. The dark skinned and dark haired beauty leaned against her boyfriend, putting her arms around his waist. Action films were not her most favorite movie genre but she liked them, nonetheless. They were exciting and usually kept her on the edge of her seat, though she would take a romantic comedy over this any day. Her eyes traveled over to the drawers, which were also made of oak, and she remembered they had some chips stored in there.  
"How about some snacks?", she suggested.  
"Sure, why not?", Ben replied. Amy let go of him and walked over to the drawers, opening one and getting out a bag of chips with paprika flavor. With this in hands, she went to the kitchen to get a big bowl in which she emptied the bag and then returned to Ben with the snacks. The bowl was placed between them, their hands wandering towards the snacks made of potatoes over and over again.

* * *

The Key Master received the spare keys from Edna before the latter went home to get ready for work. He would get the materials for the drawers later; there were too many people out and about to his liking. The last thing he needed were several members of the species Homo sapiens gawking at him like he was some sort of exhibit. If they wanted to gape at something, then they should go to the zoo or Madame Tussauds. Alright, he would not mind visiting the latter some day. Anyway, Edna was also kind enough to give him some money, so he could go somewhere, though he could not think of any place he wanted to visit right now. Thus, he leisurely strolled through town, memorizing the various public places in case he ever wanted to visit one. The Key Master noticed there was a bar not far from the apartment complex Edna lived in. In theory, she could work there and would not have a long way to work. However, the Key Master figured why she did not work there and he could not blame her. People tended to look deeper in the glass than they should and the result tended to be unpleasant. It was already bad enough that some man, who seemed to be sober, harassed Edna; the Key Master did not want to imagine how drunken men would act towards her. The thought made his blood boil; he loathed men who think women were nothing but sex dolls, though he also could not stand women who would want to sleep with every men. Speaking of which, the young woman up ahead seemed to be one of the sort. She had dark red hair was up in a high ponytail, her small beady eyes were too far apart. The dress she was wearing was inappropriately small and showed so much cleavage that the Key Master thought the designer had no materials left when he made this dress. She winked at him and blew him a kiss. He felt disgusted and swiftly turned around to walk another way, ignoring her calls to wait for her. Her calls faded the faster he walked and farther away he was. She could very well sleep with other men and get their diseases or give them her diseases – or both. But not with him. The Key Master was so lost in thought he only realized his current location when the sun was slowly but surely sinking over the horizon. He saw a quaint little restaurant with white exterior walls and a turquoise entrance door. A few tables and chairs were outside, underneath a couple of parasols. Only one table was currently occupied by four adolescents, who were waited by a dark haired waitress, who looked familiar. It took the Key Master a moment until he realized this young woman was Edna. He was so used in seeing her clad in dark colors he did not recognize her immediately in a pale blue dress, despite having seen her in this once. She seemed to have sensed him looking at her because she turned around with furrowed brows. However, this expression was immediately replaced by a happy smile and she waved at him. He waved back and then continued on his way. It was not his plan to visit Edna at her work place but it was nice to see a pleasant face and see her smile at him, nonetheless. Well, it was slowly getting dark, he should return to Edna's place of residence and get the materials for the drawers from her basement as well as the cordless drill from her apartment – fortunately, her housemate was not home.

* * *

"Hey Edna, who was this man outside you were waving at?", Anika asked Edna while getting the ordered refreshments for the patrons.  
"Oh, he was just an old friend. I guess it was just coincidence he was here and saw me", Edna replied while filling a glass with Fanta. She was surprised when she noticed the Key Master standing there outside but also pleased. Her mood, while not miserable at all, had lifted upon seeing him and now she felt like nothing could bring her down.  
"I see. By the way, would you mind if I'd invite my sister to our girls' night out? That is, if she can join us", Anika said, filling two glasses with beer.  
"I don't see why not. I didn't even know you have a sister", Edna responded, now carrying the tray with filled glasses towards the table outside. Her black skinned friend gave her a bashful grin before heading towards a group of men and women joyfully laughing and talking. Edna chuckled to herself and then served the table with the four adolescents, telling them their meals would be there momentarily.  
Her work shift was stressful, like always, but she tried to not let it get her down. She preferred this over being locked up any day. It gave her something to do and she was not judged by anyone because her sanity. Well, true, not everyone liked her but no one was liked by everyone. This was as impossible as Hulgor with an enormously high intelligent quotient. The thought of this huge, muscular bloke being an educated person amused Edna so much she giggled to herself. That guy was more brawns than brains, the complete opposite of the Key Master in a way. At least the Key Master did not sound like a Homo sapiens neanderthalensis when speaking. Instead, he had a clear, intelligible voice that was pleasant to Edna's ears. Now she could understand Tina, who tended to drool every time she heard Chris Sarandon's voice or the voice of Tim Curry. Edna suddenly had the image of her housemate drooling upon hearing the Key Master talking stuck in her head. It was amusing but also somewhat disturbing.  
"Welcome home", the chubby blond woman greeted Edna the moment she stepped into the living room. Once again, Tina was watching a DVD but this time it was not _Star Trek_. It was another show she liked. Edna had only seen bits and pieces of it. Still, she would like to take her time to watch this show too.  
"What'cha watching?"  
" _Pushing Daisies_. I was kind of in the mood for this... and now I want pie..."  
Edna chuckled and shook her head good-naturedly at her friend and housemate. She stood behind the couch and watched along for a few minutes until she decided to get to bed and read for a bit. So, she bid Tina a good night and got ready for bed, getting comfortable with Harvey and her mother's diary. Edna wanted to read a few entries before drifting away in the land of fleeting dreams. Her mother wrote about trips she made with her friends and her sister, like shopping in Hamburg or vacationing in the mountains. She mentioned in her writings how much she liked spending her free time in the great outdoors, although she would never say no to shopping. Edna chuckled at a little written anecdote by her mother in this diary about a little accident one of her friends had. During one camping trips to the mountains, they put up their tents next to a babbling brook. When it was dark outside, they sat on fallen logs, one of which was right in front of the brook, around a campfire and told each other scary stories. One was apparently so frightening that this particular friend lost her balance and fell into the water behind her. Edna pondered whatever happened to her mother's old friends; she could not recall ever having met them. Perhaps she did when she was very little but she could hardly remember anything from the time Vivian Konrad was still alive.  
"So, just one entry and then let's go to sleep. How does that sound, Harv?"  
No answer from the blue lagomorph made of terry cloth. Edna glanced at him, only to realize he was already dozing. Edna smiled fondly at Harvey before turning her attention back to the diary. This entry was once again about Vivian and Mattis, this time about them being alone at her house while her parents and sister were not home. Her mother once again described the intimate relation she had that night with her future husband in disturbing detail. It was hard for Edna to imagine her father used to have such an active life in bed. A miracle he did not manage to get Vivian pregnant long before she was expecting Edna or long afterwards. Nevertheless, reading about something like this in regards to her parents disturbed Edna greatly. She would not sleep well that night...  
And she was right with this. Her dreams were quite naughty, which was usually not the case. Normally, she had violent, funny, or adventurous dreams, but also disturbing dreams – like the time she dreamt of a figure with empty eyes slowly approaching her with a knife – or memories, never naughty though. She blamed her mother's libertine writings about her intimate relations. One thing was sure, Edna would never talk to anyone – not even to the pictures of Sigmund Freud or C.G. Jung – about her erotic dreams involving her and, for some inexplicable reason, the Key Master. It confused her why she would have such dreams about him. He was just a friend and now, she doubted she could look at him without blushing. Furthermore it was unlikely the Key Master would feel the same... not that Edna would feel more than friendship towards him.  
Edna was pulled out of her reverie upon noticing an enticing smell. She got out of bed and followed her nose towards the kitchen where she found Tina making pancakes for breakfast. It was only at this moment when the purple haired woman realized how hungry she was. After all, she had not eaten anything since the cake at the café.  
"Morning", Tina greeted her when she noticed her in the doorway. "Breakfast is almost ready. Could you please set up the table?"  
Edna nodded and got two plates as well as cutlery out of the cupboards and drawers, which she placed on the dining table in the living room. Then she returned to the kitchen to get the syrup and mugs for the morning coffee. Tina arrived with a big stack of pancakes not long afterwards, placing it in the middle of the table. Edna filled her plate with some while her housemate got the coffee and poured it into their mugs. After Tina also filed her plate, they both commenced consuming their breakfast. Edna let her thoughts wander while munching this sweetness of flour, milk, sugar, eggs and syrup. She had a feeling she had forgotten something but could not think of what. Oh well, she should not dwell on it too much; she was going to remember sooner or later.  
After breakfast, Edna and Tina, both well-fed, washed the used kitchen utensils – if they would wait until later, they would be too lazy to clean them and soon, they would have a mountain of dirty dishes.  
"Any plans of what you're gonna do today?"  
Edna, who took a dripping wet plate Tina held out to her, shrugged.  
"Dunno. I reckon I'm going outside", she replied as she started to dry the plate.  
"I don't know what I'm gonna do, either", the blond woman said while cleaning the forks. "But we could do something together. How about it?"  
"I don't see why not", Edna, who was now drying the cutlery, responded. Tina started scrubbing the bowl in which she whisked flour, sugar, milk and eggs together. Edna leaned against the counter and gazed out of the window while absentmindedly playing with the dish towel in her hands. A bird flew past. She watched the little chirpy until it was out of sight. Her mind was filled with thoughts of how marvelous it would be to fly freely like a bird. She could see the world without being restricted by boat or train or even plane. She could go wherever she wanted to and whenever she wanted to. She could visit her old home every day and then take a quick trip to Australia. Wait a minute... Edna's brows furrowed when she realized something.  
"You know, I just realized we forgot to visit my old hideout yesterday", she voiced her thoughts. She heard how Tina stopped scrubbing and, when she looked at her, saw she was deep in thought.  
"You're right... But how could we forget it? There wasn't anything that occupied our minds", Tina responded, talking very fast. She sighed and continued cleaning the bowl. "Well, we could take the trip later, how about it?"  
Edna nodded in agreement, also asking if they could stop by a flower shop. Tina, although confused, answered positively without asking any questions.

Around midday, both Edna and Tina found themselves in the latter's car on the way to the hometown of the former. Of course, the desired detour to a flower shop occurred while they were still in town. Three different bouquets lay on the backseats of the car, one for each of the graves Edna wanted to visit. Her housemate had figured ages ago who two of the bouquets were for but she racked her brain while trying to figure out who the final one was destined for. Edna watched the passing landscapes while holding Harvey close to her. This would be the first time she would return to the village she grew up in since her and the Key Master's reunion. Although it was only two weeks ago, it still felt like an eternity had passed. Edna really hoped they would not be seen by anyone whose working place happened to be an institution on top of a mountain. She did not want to be captured again or set a foot in this establishment ever again. It made her angry to think Doctor Marcel was not behind bars where he ought to be. After the doctor was put in jail, Gerret told her, Lilli and Mother Superior that the asylum would get a new owner and that the patients would be relocated until then. Edna had no idea when Doctor Marcel's second son she never heard of before bailed this mad man out but she was sure the attempts for finding a new owner were abandoned. Sometimes, Edna wondered if the doctor would still be in prison if he did not have so much influence. Probably, she thought with a sigh.  
"Something's troubling you?", Tina asked, quickly glancing at Edna.  
"It's just... life's so unfair. It's always the good guys horrible things happen to. I mean, my parents were good people but they're dead while a man I know who is evil is free and surely tormenting his patients", Edna explained, clenching her fists in anger.  
"Patients?", Tina repeated. "Is that guy a doctor or something?"  
"He runs the local asylum...", the former patient of the establishment answered. She looked at her friend to see she had her brows furrowed in thought.  
"Wait a minute... are you talking about the asylum you were stuck in for the majority of your life? The one with the mad doctor?", she inquired.  
"Yep, that's the one", Edna confirmed with a nod of her head.  
"But when you moved in with me, Gerret told me he would be put in prison. That guy can't be out already, can he?"  
Tina said this all very fast, her befuddlement was evident in every single syllable. Edna took a deep breath and told her what she heard from Gerret when she happened upon him. Her housemate, while focusing on the street ahead of her, listened intently. The blonde's brows creased deeper and deeper the more she heard. Eventually, her jaw dropped upon hearing the doctor apparently had a second son. Tina knew of Alfred and that he was dead, but not the circumstance of his death and its connection to Edna and her being stuck in a padded cell.  
"I was also astonished to hear he had more than one son", Edna commented. Tina looked like her brain had a complete crash down. It was a miracle she caused no accident.  
The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, with only Tina sometimes singing along the songs she was listening to on CD. Edna found herself humming to a few of them. Soon, she spotted the abandoned convent school and the much hated asylum on the horizon. If the latter were not there, she would seriously consider moving back here after she finished school. However, as long as this establishment ominously loomed over the village like a dark, mythological creature she would not move back here.  
"You need to tell me where I can park the car", Tina pointed out.  
"There's a supermarket when you turn left. You can park there", Edna told her friend. Tina nodded and took the next turn to the left. The old supermarket had changed since the last time Edna was there. In her childhood, it looked like it never left the fifties but now, it was bigger and the exterior was almost sterile looking. Edna preferred the old-fashioned style the place used to have. At least it looked more colorful but not so much that one would think a clown was the architect. Perhaps the supermarket would look much better with some dirt. But one thing had not changed at all; there was still a forest behind it, although with less trees than before.  
"Now then, where to first?", Tina asked after parking her car.  
"The cemetery", the answer was given before the final letter of Tina's question left her mouth. Edna had a feeling this would always be the first place she would want to go to whenever she was in this village. It was always the first thing she thought of, even if she had entirely different reasons for coming here.  
"Alright", Tina nodded and both women and a blue rabbit got out of the car. Edna opened the door to the backseats and got the three bouquets. Somehow, she managed to carry these, along with Harvey at once, albeit with some difficulty. She only handed Tina one bouquet and Harvey when she offered to carry those. Then they headed for the cemetery, unaware that they being watched from the shadows.

* * *

Hidden among the trees, was a hooded figure whose face was hidden under a paper bag. Two holes enabled him to see, though one made no sense since the incident involving a little convent girl and a broken off chair leg. It was hard to see with only one eye, although his father managed quite well, even better than him. The night Ruben lost his one eye, he thought he saw Alfred's ghost and tried strangling him until his father entered the storeroom and told him it was just a hat rack with a bowling ball over which sheets were draped and a picture of Alfred was reflected on. His father had half the mind to put Ruben in one of the cells before the police captured him. By the time he was bailed out, he had already forgotten about this thought. Since then, his father actually paid more attention to his patients than he did, but that was not to say he cared for or about them. In fact, he cared about the loonies as much as he would about a random bug he would swat. But the doctor did not let them do as they liked and pleased anymore while also pursuing his plan for vengeance against Edna. Ruben knew his father had been forcing a few patients to sew copies of the rag doll rabbit Harvey for years. The first results of the loony who did this the longest were horrible, to put it mildly, but she had improved. Over the years after she was forced to begin with the work, Doctor Marcel forced more patients to make more of those, though he kept them separated, so that they could concentrate on only the dolls and nothing else. One could say the asylum had also become a factory. Now and then, Ruben would secretly check on their progress and inform his father if new materials were needed or if there was hardly any space left for an additional terry cloth rabbit. Of course, the doctor would check on them himself before either agreeing or disagreeing with his son.  
"Um Edna? How about I hold two bouquets for you? Or one and Harvey too?", Ruben heard the blond woman offer. If this was the same Edna, who killed his brother and escaped from his father's asylum and if this blue thing that Ruben could not really recognize behind all those flowers was really the infamous Harvey, then maybe he, Ruben, had just found a way for his father to be proud of him. All he had to do was to wait until they were gone, which they fortunately were only a moment later. Ruben waited an additional minute before he snuck towards the car. In his pockets, he usually carried a small notepad and pencil around, both of which proved to be useful now. He got the items out of his pocket and slowly wrote down the license plate number, staring at each individual number of letter several times to make sure he did not get a single one wrong. Perhaps this could be a big help for his father. Once Ruben had it all written down, he pocketed his notepad and pencil and walked through the forest and up the hill to the only mental institution for miles around. He used the backdoor entrance, which was hardly ever used by anyone except him, so it was a convenient way for him to get in or out of the property whenever he pleased.  
"Enter!", Doctor Marcel called from the other side of his office door when Ruben knocked a few minutes later. The young man opened the door and stepped into the room; a groan emitted from his father the moment he realized who silently asked for permission to enter the room.  
"Father, I think I just found Edna", Ruben spoke up before Doctor Marcel could utter a single word. The glare on the curmudgeon old man's face turned into an interested expression. If he had not given his attention to his oldest son before, he certainly did now.  
"You did? You really found Edna Konrad? And her rag doll rabbit Harvey?"  
"Well, she had dark hair and had something blue with her that she called Harvey. So, yeah, I think that is her. She was at a car in company of some blond woman, on their way to the cemetery. I wrote down the number of the license plate", Ruben spoke fast and excitedly. He removed his notepad from his pocket and put it on the table. "I thought it could be of help for you."  
Doctor Marcel picked up the note and stared at the letters and numbers in silence.  
"I will see what I can do with it", he said a minute later. "You may go now."

* * *

The same time Ruben made a note of the license plate and went to the asylum to his father, Edna, Harvey and Tina visited the graveyard. This time, Edna wanted to visit Alfred's grave first, after having neglected to visit it last time she was in town. It did not really make sense for Edna to visit her childhood friend's grave since his urn with his ashes was in Doctor Marcel's altar room in his institution. However, since it was impossible for her to just walk in this building to pay her respect for this innocent boy, she opted for the next best thing, which was his tombstone. Edna missed this little toad greatly; he was her only friend when she was little, aside from Harvey of course. This made it only harder for her to live with the knowledge that she was responsible for his death.  
"Hi Alfred", Edna muttered remorsefully to the tombstone. It was perhaps the best kept one in the whole graveyard. The marble stone shone in the sunlight like a slug hit by lightning and the carvings were so easy to read that she could stay ten meters away from it and still make out every letter. Obviously, Doctor Marcel made a point in keeping his son's final resting place as neatly as possible. Edna briefly pondered how this cranky old man would react if he saw a flower bouquet from an unknown person on Alfred's grave before deciding she did not care about his reaction and placed the flowers at the marble tombstone.  
"Alfred Marcel...", Tina read aloud. "The same Alfred you told me about? And wasn't the last name of the doctor who kept you in his asylum Marcel, just like his?"  
"Yes... Alfred was his son...", Edna replied, her eyes set on the name and dates of birth and death. She realized his birthday was, or rather would have been, a week ago. With a fond grin, she remembered the final birthday he celebrated. She had made a frame with Mattis's help, in which there was a photo of them taking a brief rest during one of their many bicycle tours. Alfred had been both pleased and surprised at the gesture – he had been afraid she would have given him a swarm angry bees or something that was also dangerous. But it had been a fun day and, as she could recall, he did not annoy her once during the celebration. Days like those were the reason why she sometimes did not mind playing with Alfred, even though there were a lot of times when she would have rather had constipations.  
"If this is the son of the man who kept you locked in, then why are we visiting his grave?", a thoroughly confused Tina questioned.  
"Because his ashes are kept in Doctor Marcel's asylum", Edna responded. She moved her index finger along the letters of the name 'Alfred Marcel' while adding, "He was my only friend, aside from Harvey, when I was a child and..." She hesitated. Should she really tell Tina about this? Maybe she should... Tina was her friend, after all, and she let her live with her without even knowing her. The least Edna could do was to tell her why she ended up in an asylum. So, she continued: "And it was my fault he died... I pushed him down the stairs. I-I didn't mean to. We had a fight and it just happened. My father took the blame to protect me and I was put under Doctor Marcel's care."  
If she would have looked at Tina while speaking, she would have seen her puzzled facial expression or how she opened and closed her mouth several times in an attempt to say something. But whatever Tina wanted to say, she opted not to say anything. Edna whispered an apology and a good bye to the grave before standing up and walking away. The closest grave she wanted to visit was Vivian's grave, so that was where she was headed. Edna was glad she learned more about her mother since the last time she was here. It made her feel like she actually knew her and not like her mother was a stranger.  
The flowers Edna had placed on Vivian's grave were already dead. Perhaps they would have held out longer if these would have been regularly watered. Was there no one who took care of the graves and tombstones? Well, considering how well kept Mattis's grave was, she doubted it. But every other grave she saw the night of her escape looked like it had been well cared for, so perhaps there was one and he or she deliberately ignored his. Edna did not know what to think. She took the dead flowers from Vivian's grave and placed the fresh bouquet on the same spot.  
"Hey Mom...it's me, your daughter Edna", she did not know why she began talking but she felt a heavy weight fell from her shoulders. Tina silently took a few steps back to give her some privacy. "I wish you were here, I could really need a mother now and... and I want to know more about you. But I could also need some relationship advice."  
She was not sure why she needed this; it was not like she had a boyfriend. Well, she spent a lot of time with the Key Master and she liked him, but like that? And yet, when Edna wanted to deny this, she found it hard to. Did she really like him as more than a friend? If so, then why did she have this epiphany in a graveyard? Could she not have realized this at another place, like a zoo or the cinema? Among the deceased seemed to be such an inappropriate location.  
"I guess you could help me with how to deal with all this, especially when there's quite the age gap. Well, eight years is not as bad as, say, twenty. But I could still need some advice."  
Edna fell silent for a short moment before speaking again. This time, she talked to her mother about the Key Master, about his plan that enabled her to escape, what kind of person he was and how much he had changed. Perhaps it was morally unacceptable to have feeling for a murderer, she did not know, but it was not like she could control her emotions. The Key Master had not killed anyone for a long time, so maybe there was hope he would never have a relapse. Edna knew he tried to hold back and had complete faith in him but she could not say how she would react if he would give in to his urge.  
"I'm going to visit Dad now. See you, Mom", Edna told Vivian and stood up. Turning around, she noticed Tina wandering around the cemetery and reading the names on the many graves. She walked to her friend, who still held Harvey and the final bouquet.  
"Hi Edna", the blue lagomorph greeted her. Tina, who saw her approaching, smiled at her.  
"To my father's grave", Edna gloomily said. Her friend and housemate nodded and accompanied her to the place of Mattis Konrad's last resting place.

* * *

Ruben had long left the office. Doctor Marcel was alone with his thoughts, smoking a pipe and looking out of his window towards the village. Somewhere out there was the girl responsible for his younger son's death and his disability. If only he had someone reliable, like Anes, out there to capture her but his most trusted employees were currently inside this building doing their jobs. Edna might as well be gone by the time on of his trusted minions had worked their shift. Doctor Marcel could only hope she would still be in the village. He turned away from the window and back to his desk, taking the note Ruben had left in his hands. If he remembered correctly, Babbitt would be the next one of those he trusted who would be going home, in an hour or two. Doctor Marcel decided to give this mini golf maniac the task of capturing Edna in case she was still in the village. If not, well the license plate number could still be of use. He put the note back down when a knock emitted from the other side of the door.  
"Enter!"  
The door opened to reveal Bladder pushing a cart towards the doctor's desk. The old wheelchair-bound man made some room on his desk for his afternoon tea. Bladder placed the cup on the free space, as well as the teapot and a plate with a slice of cheesecake.  
"Excellent", Doctor Marcel commented. Bladder was about to leave, when the older man added: "Tell Babbitt he shall come and see me when he's about to leave for home."  
"Yes sir", Bladder nodded and left the room. The doctor poured his tea into the cup and then he began eating his cheesecake. He doubted Babbitt would be able to capture Edna but at last, he had a hint regarding this girl's whereabouts. His good-for-nothing son was useful for something after all. It was a pleasant surprise after years of Ruben being as useful as a smashed car. Of course, he, Doctor Horatio Marcel, would be furious if what his son said proved to be false. Ruben would feel his wrath and it would not be pretty. There was no reason for Doctor Marcel to be conciliatory to Ruben just because he was his son. However, it would be an entirely different matter if it had been Alfred who provided the information. With a heavy sigh, the doctor began thinking of his deceased son. Alfred was a perfect example of how children should be like, although there was still some tinkering needed. Otherwise, he would have never wanted to play with this insubordinate brat. Doctor Marcel never understood why Alfred spent so much time at the house of the Konrad family outside of school lessons. He would have preferred if the boy would have just gone over for the classes and then back home immediately. The classroom for the lessons was about the only thing the Konrad family was good for since it meant Doctor Marcel had no need to turn one of the rooms in his house into a classroom and he did not have to send Alfred to a public school with all the other ill-bred children. Doctor Marcel finished his tea and rolled back to the window, once again looking out of it.

* * *

Edna was already at Mattis's grave. Here, too, were the flowers she placed there dead. It made this grave seem like it was in a worse shape than it actually was. Unable to accept this, she replaced the dead flowers with the fresh ones. The tombstone was still covered in moss, something that made Edna sad and forlorn when she surveyed all the other graves. It was only Mattis's last resting place that never seemed to be cared for. But why? Because it was thought he was a murderer? That was ludicrous and no reason to pretend like his grave did not exist. Besides, Mattis could not be the only supposed murderer buried in this cemetery. Edna was sure there were other people responsible for other persons' premature death under the ground around here. Sighing heavily, Edna began to wipe off some of the moss with her hands. Tina kneeled down next to her and helped her, much to her joy.  
"There's something I don't understand", Tina commented. Without waiting for an answer, she went on: "Why is your father buried so far away from your mother?"  
"I don't know... perhaps they decided he was not worth to be laid to rest next to Mom", Edna hated herself for saying this. She knew her father was a good man, even if there were a lot of things they both had different opinions on, and he did his best to raise her. Although she did not make it easy for him and although his punishments always involved locking her in her room or in the basement, she nevertheless appreciated his efforts. He was always there for her when she needed him. Edna blamed herself for his death, which he did not deserve, just like Alfred and Vivian did not deserve to be among the deceased. They all should be alive and live their life until it was time for them to die of natural causes.  
A considerable amount of moss had been wiped away by the time Edna and Tina stopped. Edna's hands with all that moss and she was sure it was the same with her friend. It did not take long until Tina commented "I really want to wash my hands right now..."  
"There's a pub in the village, where you can wash your hands", Edna told her friend. "I'll go to my old hideout to get my tools. We can meet at the car."  
"Alright but... uh... don't you want to wash your hands too?", Tina pointed out.  
"Hm nah. I don't need to."  
Tina arched an eyebrow at Edna before suddenly grabbing her hand to examine at the palm. The blond made a couple of disapproving noises while looking at Edna's moss covered hand. Eventually, she let her go.  
"I would suggest you wash your hands too."  
There was a commanding tone in her voice that made Edna feel like she should do what Tina told her to. Fortunately, she rarely used that but one could never know when she talked like that. Edna was glad she had not asked in this tone where she spent her leisure time at yet. She did want to tell her some day but only when she knew how to word it. Also, she would want to talk with the Key Master about it first before introducing him to Tina. There might as well be the possibility that he did not want to meet any of her friends.  
"Oh alright", Edna relented with an exasperated sigh. "Come on, follow me."  
They left the cemetery and headed for the village, where they entered the local pub. The barkeeper, a burly man in a white undershirt and blue jeans, stood behind the counter and wiped a glass. Music was playing in the background, some song with the title _Needle And Stitch_. Tina approached the barkeeper.  
"Excuse me, could we please wash our hands here?"  
"Blimey! Sure, Ma'am. Just go fruff there. Nuff said, yeah?", the barkeeper replied, pointing with his thumb to the back area. Tina nodded and mumbled a word of thanks before heading in that direction with Edna following her. The ladies' room was brightly lit and spacious with four cubicles on one side and the sinks with soap dispensers opposite of them. On the wall to the left was a towel dispenser, underneath was a waste basket. Edna and Tina both washed their hands – Harvey was situated between the arm and the side of the former. Once the moss was gone from their hands, they used the towels to dry their hands.  
"Do you know if they also serve non-alcoholic drinks?", Tina asked. "I'm a little thirsty."  
"Dunno", Edna shrugged clueless. "I suppose you have to ask."  
"Guess you're right. Do you want something too?"  
"Nah, I'm not thirsty. But how about I go to my old hideout and get my things while you drink something here? We could meet at your car."  
"Okay", Tina agreed with a nod. They left the ladies' room; Tina took a seat at the counter while Edna and Harvey left the pub with a "see you later".

* * *

The Key Master wiped the sweat off his forehead. He just finished assembling the drawers together. It stood now at the wall on the right of the entrance door, still devoid of any content. The Key Master, though exhausted and sweating like an Inuit in the Sahara desert, admired his work with a satisfied smirk. He would fill the drawers later but first, he needed some rest and cooling down. He decided to go for a swim, thus he took his clothes off and changed into his swimming trunks, in case a certain dark haired woman with a blue rabbit suddenly appeared. Speaking of Edna, he would have expected she would already be here. Normally, she would have been with him since around midday. But evening was slowly approaching and still no sign of her. The Key Master did not even see her when he took a walk through town. However, he saw the boy she was conversing with the other day in company of a pale skinned, black haired girl. He had not spoken to them; he simply walked past them to a café, where he enjoyed an ice coffee. The Key Master had taken his time to watch the other patrons of this establishment from his seat in the corner. Most, if not everybody else, was in company of one or more persons. Only the fewest were as alone as he was, though they were gone quite quickly. The Key Master left the café about an hour after he finished his ice coffee and went back to his place, where he took his time to assemble the drawers. Now, he was cooling himself off by taking a swim in the pond. He wondered if Edna would still come over for a visit, though he had his doubts. She still had school the next day and, as far as he knew, she had to work tonight. Oh well, he could live with one day of her not being here. It was not like the world would end or he would unexpectedly drop dead. Besides, he planned to get the table from her basement later, so there could be a possibility he would see her on her way to or from work.

* * *

Edna was now inside her old hideout, barely able to see anything. She wished she would have thought to bring a flashlight along. Since she forgot it, she opted to stay where she was until her eyes got accustomed to the darkness. Fortunately, Edna still remembered where she kept her tools, so the lack of a light, while inconvenient, was not so bad. Her eyes got used to the darkness and she slowly walked towards the nearest crate. She opened it and got her tools, consisting of a lighter, even though this was not an actual tool, a hammer and a screwdriver. She was sure the Key Master could need those, as well as most objects in the tool shed of her old home. Now that she thought about it, perhaps she should go to her house too. Well, she got what she needed from here, so there was no reason for her to not take a detour to her old home. Thus, Edna left the cave and headed, through the forest, to the house she used to call her home in her childhood.  
On her way to her home, she called Tina on her phone, telling her where she was going and giving her the directions. Her friend responded that she would meet her there. Edna once again reminisced of days past while strolling through the woods. It was impossible for her not to; those were all places she frequented regularly in her childhood, either alone or with Alfred or her father or both. Doctor Marcel had never joined her, much to her joy, although he kept emphasizing his disapproval of Alfred coming along with them. He only let his son with them if there was no other way, albeit reluctantly. Edna was usually annoyed when Alfred had to stay with them when his father was away but, in retrospect, she actually liked it when he was sleeping over at their house. It was so hilarious when they all watched a creepy movie and he screamed like a girl. Once, he even wet his pants, something that still made Edna giggle when she recalled the incident. The movie they watched that night was not even that creepy; it was _The Black Cauldron_. Mattis had bought the movie, thinking it was just like any other movie from this studio, only to realize it was a bit darker. Of course, Alfred's father was less than happy about this little accident but it amused both Edna and Harvey greatly. She only needed to mention the Horned King and Alfred nearly wet himself again. No surprise she did mention the character for some time whenever she felt like it.  
Edna arrived at her house, looking just like it did over two weeks ago. Tina was not there yet, so Edna decided to wander around the property. Not much had changed since the night she found out the truth. The garden gnomes she smashed in search of the front door key were still at their rightful spots as was the garden furniture on the porch. Only the overgrown weed, the increased amount of moss and the fact the mailbox had detached itself from the exterior wall of the house were indications that a few years had passed. The night had been difficult for Edna; more often than not she was about to cry and could, at times, not hold her tears back. Her desire to turn back the clocks to the days of innocent childhood had been great and, truth to be told, still was. Things used to be more fun back then... and less complicated. Sighing heavily, Edna stared at the moss-covered garden furniture. Only a tiny amount of their original color was still visible. She was always happy when the weather was warm and sunny enough to eat outside, like when Mattis barbecued steaks and bratwurst or when they decided to take their lunch outside.  
"Edna?", she heard a female voice call from the front. Recognizing it to be Tina's, Edna walked back to the area with the smashed garden gnomes, where she found her housemate staring at these.  
"Whoever destroyed these has an anger management problem", the blond commented. She turned away from the colorful pieces and instead gave the property a once-over with a smile on her face. "So, this is where you used to live?"  
"Yes", Edna nodded, watching her. Tina's face fell the longer she looked around but it was not a disgusted face she made. If anything, it could be described as depressing.  
"There's something sad about it...", Tina quietly remarked.  
"I know...", Edna agreed with a dejected voice. She beckoned her housemate to follow her, leading her to the tool shed in the backyard. They entered it, with Edna telling Tina to take the snow shovel while she took the rake. Tina did not quite understand why she wanted to take those things, especially the snow shovel, seeing it was summer and not winter, but took it nonetheless. Edna glanced for a moment at the wheel, the only thing that was left of her father's bicycle. She briefly considered taking it along with her but, in the end, she opted not to. It would be a bit cumbersome to additionally carry this around.

* * *

"Bladder said you wanted to speak with me, Doctor?"  
Babbitt stood in Doctor Marcel's office, right in front of the latter's desk. The older man had his back turned, smoking his pipe. Babbitt nervously shuffled his feet. One never knew what to expect when they were called to their employer's office until the answer would leave the old man's mouth. It could be anything, like the status of unemployment, certain task to keep the loonies in check or serving Doctor Marcel his tea. Because of that, every employee felt nervous upon hearing the doctor wanted to see them. Well, maybe except Anes, who only seemed to feel sadism, hate and a sick pleasure of mistreating the patients.  
"Yes Babbitt, I indeed do", the one-eyed doctor confirmed, facing the mini golf maniac at last. "Edna is apparently in this village. I want you to look for her and, if you find her, capture her."  
The black haired man swallowed uncertainly. He was supposed to get this crazy girl on his own? Without any help? Bladder and René once managed to catch her but that was because they knocked her out with an electroshock gun, which he, Babbitt, did not have. Actually, none of them had them after some of the loonies somehow managed to steal them all and used them for some kind of Frankenstein experiment during a thunderstorm a year ago. The result was that every single electroshock gun ended up broken and useless.  
"Anes might have something that will help you if I'm not mistaken", Doctor Marcel stated. "Go talk to him."  
"Yes sir", Babbitt nodded. "Is there anything else, sir?"  
"You are dismissed", Doctor Marcel replied and Babbitt quickly left the office. He was annoyed that he had to look for Anes first and then for Edna. He had been looking forward to playing mini golf in his backyard all day long and now his precious time was cut short because some crazy girl happened to be in the village, apparently. How did the doctor know about this anyway? As far as Babbitt knew, he had not left the building once all day long. Did he have a secret informant stationed in the village? Or did Doctor Marcel perhaps leave the institution once and he simply did not notice? Oh well, it did not matter. The sooner he would get over his task, the sooner he could play mini golf. Babbitt walked down the stairs to the surveillance room, where he last saw Anes. The dark haired man still sat in his chair, leaning back and keeping his emotionless eyes on the monitors with crossed arms.  
"Hello Babbitt", he greeted his colleague without turning around to look at him.  
"How... how did you know it was me?", Babbitt asked both in fear and astonishment.  
"I can see your reflection on the monitors", Anes replied curtly. "It's hard to see but it's there. Now then..." He turned around to face Babbitt. "What can I do for you?"  
Babbitt told him about the task he got from Doctor Marcel. Anes listened attentively, twisting his beard. When Babbitt finished speaking, Anes stood up and indicated Babbitt to follow him, leading him to the cell where Peter, Washing Maniac, Bruce Broker and Tiger Head were all locked in. Ignoring the woes of the four patients, who all complained about hunger, he took a handful of the darts and left the cell. Now he led Babbitt to the lockers, where employees kept their personal things, like their jackets or car keys, during work hours. Anes opened his locker and took out a long, wooden pole, which was as hollow as a pipe. Babbitt noticed there were quite a few in that locker.  
"Put one of the darts in there and then blow. If you hit your target, they'll be knocked out", Anes instructed. "Grab them and make sure they're unable to escape when they wake up. Any questions?"  
"Yes. Why do you have so many blowpipes?", Babbitt questioned. Anes made a scrunched face and thrust both the wooden pipe and the darts into his colleague's hands. Babbitt was about to leave when Anes threw a rope around his shoulders like a feather boa.  
"To incapacitate your prey", he explained while slamming the door of his locker. He rushed past Babbitt presumably back to the surveillance room. The mini golf enthusiast rolled his eyes at him and removed the rope from around his shoulders and pocketed it. Then he hurried after his colleague out of the room but instead of going to the surveillance room, he headed for the garages. Babbitt opened one of the many garage doors and got into an off-white truck. He placed all the items Anes had given him on the passenger seat and started the vehicle.  
Babbitt drove the long, winding road of the mountain down, slowing down the closer he got to the foot of the mountain. He kept his eyes open for an adult with a blue rag doll rabbit. This would be the only way he would recognize Edna, otherwise she could walk right past him and he would not know it. Well, René did show him an Internet video where a girl, who had a striking resemblance to Edna, was seen in the background. Nonetheless, they could not be sure it was really her or that she decided to change her looks, hence him focusing more on Harvey in his search. However, the streets were empty for most part with the exception of some adolescents heading for the bar – Babbitt rolled his eyes at today's youth – and a family returning from a trip. Oh, and those two girls with the rake, snow shovel and blue stuffed lagomorph leaving the property with the rundown house. The small, black haired man just drove past when comprehension dawned on his face and his eyes increased their sizes to the size of saucers. Two adult girls, both around the same age, although he would estimate the blond to be younger, and a plush rabbit in one of the three primary colors! Babbitt would eat his precious "Babbitt & Son" titanium seven iron golf club if one of the girls was not Edna. He turned the car around, slowly following them as they walked down the street. He wondered why they had a snow shovel with them. Chances of snowing in were lower than the probability of a meteor suddenly crashing on his head. But maybe he should not think too much about this; he kept watch at Edna's cell door often and long enough to know she had lost her marbles a very long time ago. From what he could see, they were heading for the forest.  
Babbitt stopped the truck at the edge of the forest, grabbed the items he received from Anes and followed the two females inside the patch of Mother Nature on foot. He had to be careful if he wanted to knock out Edna without having to deal with the other girl. The best way would be if they would somehow get separated, maybe by being chased by a saber-toothed boar. Trouble was, these animals only roamed around at nightfall and only around areas with Artemisia. Also, Babbitt had his doubts they would still wander around the forest late in the night. Nevertheless, he loaded the blowpipe with one of the darts in case he would get the opportunity to shoot it at Edna. He kept on pursuing these two girls by hiding behind trees and keeping enough distance for them to not notice him but also for him not to be too far away. The blond spoke about the bar and the weird names and ingredients for the beverages – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic – they had to offer. From what Babbitt could hear, she was in the bar earlier and ordered a non-alcoholic drink. She still had to, according to her own words, drive the car. Babbitt's face fell when he heard this. If they reached their vehicle before he was able to knock out Edna and capture her, he would never be able to. He sincerely hoped Doctor Marcel had a Plan B on hand. Lost in thought and too focused on the girls ahead of him, Babbitt failed to notice one particularly large root sticking up from under the ground and therefore tripped over it. He was sprawled over the ground, his inventory lying everywhere. Holding back a groan, he stood up and recovered his items. But, to his misfortune, he had lost sight of the girls.  
"Doctor Marcel is going to kill me...", Babbitt muttered in misery.

* * *

Neither Edna nor Tina had realized a man followed them through the woods. Not that it mattered anymore at the moment, he lost them and they were now in the car on their way back home. Edna was awfully quiet, her mind was filled with thoughts about the deceased she visited and the epiphany she had. For the former, she wished she had a way to communicate with the dead just to talk with her parents and with Alfred. As for the latter, she was not sure how or if she should tell the Key Master about this. She did not even know how much she liked him. It could just be a fleeting crush, gone in a few weeks' time. But it could also be more than that. Perhaps it would be better if she said nothing at all until she was absolutely sure about her own feelings... and perhaps of the way he felt for her. The last thing she wanted was to ruin their friendship. No, she would keep her feelings to herself; it would be better this way.  
"You know, when we girls all hang out together, I would suggest we spend the day at the beach and then have a movie night at someone's place, maybe ours", Tina suggested, causing Edna to think of something else. "What do you think? Do you have any suggestions too?"  
"Sounds good in my opinion. I could ask Bianca if we can have the movie night at her place", Edna replied. "She lives in a house, so we wouldn't be bothering the neighbors."  
"Since when do you care about that?", Harvey commented from his place on her lap. Edna ignored him.  
"Sounds good to me", Tina nodded at Edna's suggestion. The latter grinned as she thought of more:  
"We could also order a pizza and have an actual party. Y'know, with music, lights and dancing."  
"Is this supposed to be a day for just four girls or the whole town?", her housemate asked in an amused voice.  
"Just for four, although we might be five girls. Anika wanted to invite her sister too", Edna replied. "She doesn't know if her Sis can find the time on the day, though. By the way, when are we having our day?"  
Edna looked questioningly with furrowed brows at her housemate. Tina stared straight ahead to the street in front of her. She seemed to be deep in thought, although it might as well be because she was focusing on driving.  
"Hm, how about after you had your hearing?", she eventually proposed. "That way, there wouldn't be anything unpleasant on your mind."  
"Yeah, sounds good to me", Edna agreed quietly. She had not thought about her hearing since the day she got her summons. The mention of it made her feel uneasy. What would happen to her? Would she end up in an asylum again? Or would she be locked in jail, which actually sounded to her like the lesser of the two evils? Whatever it was, she would ultimately not like her sentence. Edna wished she had not pushed Heike – even if she was a brainless, obnoxious, whiny, conceited bitch. Or that she let Harvey animate her to do this despite being fully aware that it never ended well when she pushed a person.  
"Hey, are you okay?", Tina asked in a soft, caring voice, glancing at her with a frown. Edna inhaled deeply and then exhaled.  
"I was just thinking of the hearing...", the former inmate of an asylum responded in a low voice.  
"Don't worry, it's gonna be alright", Tina tried to cheer her up. Edna sincerely hoped she was right. She knew Heike was incredibly stupid but not how far she would go to get what she wanted and Edna was sure she wanted to see her behind bars.  
"Come on, think of something else! Think of something that would make you happy", Tina added when she noticed Edna still had a miserable expression on her face. Perhaps she was right, Edna reckoned, and it also made no sense to depress oneself with thoughts of a hearing that was still a couple of weeks away. Therefore she closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Well, she had her friends who were always there for her and she had her mother's diary she liked reading whenever she could. For years, Edna had wondered how her mother was like, since not even Harvey could tell her or tempomorph her to a time she was still alive, and having something of Vivian Konrad's was like a friendly wave from a long forgotten past. It might not be the same as actually having her beside her but it was better than nothing and Edna could not help but smile when she read it. She was actually looking forward to the entries about her when she was still an infant and how her parents' life had changed with her birth. Was she the child Mattis and Vivian had wished for? Or was the pregnancy unintentional but bound with the decision to raise the child as best as they could? Did they actually plan to get more kids if it were not for Vivian's sudden death? Edna hoped so, she always wanted a sibling. Perhaps this was why she got along so well with Lilli in the convent school, since the little girl was like the sister she never had. If only she knew where Lilli lived now, she would like to visit her and see how she had been doing. Besides, if it had not been for her, Edna would have never reunited with Harvey. Sure, his appearance had changed but he was still the cuddly blue rabbit she had known for all her life. His cuteness even cheered Mother Superior up when she felt miserable for the way she treated children in the convent school. If she had asked if she could keep Harvey, Edna would probably have said yes since she looked like she could need a friend. But instead Mother Superior had given him back to Edna, who had told her he was actually hers. This was the first and last time Edna saw Ignatz being somewhat kind to her and Lilli. The last thing she heard was that she was sent to a therapist, one who could actually help her. Thinking about Mother Superior made Edna wonder how she had been doing over the last few years. Was she perhaps kinder to children now? Did she still have her job, albeit at a different place? There was so much Edna wanted to know about the people she met from between her escape to where she was currently in her life. She remembered how she wanted to invite Aluman, Hoti and Moti to her house for a big breakfast. Unfortunately, the plan never came to fruition and she was unable to contact them. But should she ever find them, she would invite them. It might get a little snug in the apartment but she did not care, although a picnic would be a great alternative. Whatever, she would think about the details if she ever found them.  
Edna watched the scenery change from forest as far as the eyes can see to wide open fields and streets until the landscape was back to forest everywhere. With the change of the scenery, the color of the skies change from a bright blue to the warm and romantic array of orange and crimson as the sun peeked over the horizon. She knew her shift would soon start; she would have no time to visit the Key Master. Well, at least she did not have to worry about homework, seeing she got none, so there was a silver lining. Also, the two weeks she had to work every day instead of only on weekends would be over, so she would have more time for her hobbies. Tina slowed her car down until it came to a complete stop in front of the apartment complex.  
"I bring the tools to the basement, you can go ahead to our apartment with Harvey", Edna said while unbuckling her seatbelt.  
"Alright", Tina agreed before they got out of the car. The chubby blond got the blue rabbit from her housemate into her arms while she got all the tools from the car trunk. Tina locked her vehicle and went on ahead to the building, opening the door for herself and Edna. The former inmate of an asylum watched her friend using the elevator before she went to the door that led to the stairs down to the basement. When she opened device for entering and leaving four walls, she found that the lights were already on, to her surprise. Her first thought was that one of the neighbors was currently in the basement but as she listened intently, she heard sounds coming from behind the door where she stored the furniture for the Key Master. Well, at least she thought she heard noises there and she noticed light shining through the gap between door and floor. Also, the door stood slightly ajar. Ready to defend herself should the need arise, Edna descended the stairs and headed for the door, thinking of what kind of demon might be lurking behind it. She took one deep breath and opened the door, ready to clobber the unknown demon to death with a snow shovel, until she realized it was just the Key Master.  
"Oh! Heh heh heh", she chuckled nervously, letting her weapons sink. "It's you."  
"You sound very enthusiastic to see me", the Key Master commented dryly with a raised eyebrow. In his arms, he held all four table legs.  
"I thought a demon or some other creature was in here", Edna explained while placing the smaller tools on a shelf.  
"Did you read fantasy novels all day long to have such thoughts?", the Key Master asked while the young woman was in the process of leaning both the snow shovel and the rake against the wall. He nodded towards them. "What's with those tools?"  
"I was in my old hideout and at my father's house to get some tools for you. I would like to help you bring these to your place but I have no time. Gotta go to work", she replied. "But I have time tomorrow."  
"Okay, then I guess I see you tomorrow", he said with a nod. "Have fun at work and at school tomorrow."  
Edna watched him walking towards the door. He had his free hand on the handle when he turned around and added:  
"I'll be looking forward to your visit."  
With these words, he left the room. Edna stared after him with a goofy smile that was so unlike her. Since she realized she had a crush on the Key Master, she felt like she could giggle non-stop. Or maybe there was something in her pancakes... Anyway, she was glad she still got a chance to see him without waiting for the afternoon of the next day. She got so used to see him on a daily basis, it was impossible to think of a day without spotting him for even a minute. Was this a sign of the feelings she had for the green-skinned man? Still thinking about this, she left the basement and went up to her and Tina's apartment where she got ready for work.

* * *

An hour on the highway away from Edna's current position was Babbitt, still wandering around in the forest even after the sun had switched places with the glowing white moon. He was exhausted and in a bad mood, mumbling insults for Edna, Doctor Marcel and Anes under his breath. All he wanted was to play mini golf in his backyard but no, thanks to his boss's unhealthy obsession with the girl, he was instead straying around the forest after dark. All he wanted now was to eat and sleep and not leave Hypnos's cradling arms until after summer. He leaned against a tree trunk in exhaustion and looked up to the little patch of heaven he could see through the treetops. A few stars twinkled in the sky as if to greet him or to mock him, he was not sure. Babbitt filled his thoughts with roast pork and potatoes swimming in gravy and vegetables as a side dish when he heard a squeaky grunt. Stiff as a board and eyes almost bulging out of their sockets, Babbitt turned to his left hand side and looked down. He noticed some kind of plant growing at the base of the tree, something that had a remarkable resemblance to...  
"Artemisia! Oh shit!", Babbitt cursed. He had to get away from here as fast as possible, unless he wanted to be chased by a saber-toothed boar like a mouse being hunted by a cat. The grunt resonated again, this time much closer than it did before. Babbitt turned his heel and headed back the way he came from. He barely walked five steps when he heard the grunt again and felt hot breath at his hand. Knowing what it could mean and hoping against hope it was not the case, he turned around. Bigger than a normal boar with tusks as big and wide as Babbitt himself, its fur as brown as mud and its hooves as black as ebony, the mini golf maniac found himself face to face with a saber-toothed boar and it looked angry. Babbitt knew he had to keep cool and not panic; he was not supposed to make any sudden movements. Therefore, he stood still, not moving a single muscle.  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMY!"  
Well, he would have if he was smart enough to do as he was supposed to instead of running and screaming for his mother. Babbitt ran faster than he ever ran in his life, jumping over logs, stones and other things that were on the ground. His whole life flashed before his inner eye; he thought about how he never became such a professional mini golf player like his late father, how he never found a soul mate and how he never got the respect he earned. Oh, and he thought he should have turned his heel when he lost sight of Edna and the other girl while it was still bright outside.  
"I DON'T WANNA DIE!"  
Unexpectedly, he bumped into something soft and fell on his behind. He heard the soft something gasp but he ignored it. He looked behind himself, expecting to see the saber-toothed boar. However, he found himself well out of the woods, with no pork in sight. In fact, he was back in the village; near the place he parked his vehicle.  
"Hey, how about an apology?", a female voice demanded indignantly. At last, Babbitt turned his attention to the soft thing he bumped against. It was a young, black skinned woman, whose black hair was up in a ponytail. Babbitt had seen this person a few times before but he could not think of where.  
"Hey, aren't you one of the guards in Doctor Marcel's asylum?", the woman asked.  
"Uh yes", Babbitt confirmed while getting up. "Do I know you?"  
"We've crossed ways before. My boyfriend – Ben – works there as a guard too and I held a few therapy sessions", she explained. "I'm Amy Straube."  
Now he remembered her. He saw wandering around the institution and visiting the patients in the recreation room before and after her sessions began. Babbitt knew she would converse with them but also with the employees every now and then.  
"Ah yes, I remember now. Aren't you the one who joins the loonies in their board games now and then?", Babbitt remarked.  
"Please don't call them 'loonies', it's degrading", Amy responded reprovingly. "Anyway, yes I am. Just because they're a little cuckoo doesn't it mean we should treat them in any inhuman way."  
Babbitt never thought about it that way. Since he started working in the asylum, he saw the patients being treated like they had a contagious disease. Some of his colleagues went even so far that they did not consider the patients as living, feeling beings. Babbitt himself did not think the patients had no feeling but he also did not treat them like they were his equals. If he thought about it, only Amy and her boyfriend Ben showed genuine concern for the loonies. Everybody else just did their jobs, with no complaints – unless Doctor Marcel was going to neglect the loonies and everything else in the asylum again. Hopefully, this would not happen because he, Babbitt, lost Edna.  
"Well, see you next time you're holding a therapy session", Babbitt said and headed for the truck, deciding to drive home and get some rest. Still, Amy's words caused him to think... Perhaps he should be friendlier to the patients, even if they were annoying. After all, they had never done anything to hurt him, not even Edna – unless he counted his pride and the fact he still was no professional mini golf player. The only thing they did to him was to annoy him, with Edna being a champion at that.

* * *

Author's note: Ben's last name was named after Friedrich Schoenfelder, who also did a lot of voice works in German dubs. Among them are Doctor Dawson in _The Great Mouse Detective_ , the narrator in _Beauty And The Beast_ and the Emperor of China in _Mulan_.


	12. On Edna's Trails

Thank you so much for your review, Julayla. It makes me happy to know you like it. I hope you and everyone else who reads my fanfic will like this chapter and the future chapters.

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 **On Edna's Trails**

It was Monday, around early afternoon and, with the week having already started, it felt like it would only be a moment until summer vacation began. Normally, Edna would have German class but since Missus Rosefield had an appointment, they had Art class now instead and the class would be cancelled on Thursday. Miss Moore had given the students their homework back at the beginning of the lesson after having forgotten them at home on Friday. Edna was elated to see that she got an A for her Art homework. Bianca, who designed a necklace, also got the same grade while Sebastian, who also drew a CD cover, got a B. Their teacher gave them a few minutes to quietly discuss their grades with each other before she clapped her hands twice to gain their attention.  
"Now then, I know there won't be any grades given for the next two weeks, this one included", Miss Moore began. "But nevertheless, I want to start something that we will finish at the beginning of next school year. Yes, Emily?"  
"Can I go to the toilet, please?", a girl, who had her hand raised, asked.  
"Oh well, alright", Miss Moore allowed her to go. Emily stood up and left the classroom while Miss Moore continued speaking: "Now then, I want to go to the park with all of you and I want you to draw something, like the plant life, the playground, anything you see. Finishing your drawing will be your homework for over summer vacation. What is it, Robert?"  
"Can I go to the toilet too?"  
Miss Moore wordlessly indicated at the door. Robert stood up and went through the door, with his teacher glancing after him with arched eyebrows.  
"He leaves two minutes after Emily left just so we won't think that something's up... But I think something's up", Miss Moore commented, to general amusement. "Well, now you know what we're going to do today, we will only wait for Emily and Robert and then, we can go. Please, pack your things."  
There was quite some clutter as everyone packed their pens, rulers, pencils, erasers, folders and so on in their school bags. A boy named Tobias packed for his friend Robert while Gabrielle did the same for Emily, much to Heike's annoyance. Once everyone was ready and the two students with the weak bladder were back, they left the classroom and the building for the park.  
Students scattered across the park like children looking for Easter eggs, all in search for the perfect spot to sit on and draw. Edna took it easy; it was not like they had to finish their drawings at the end of the lesson. Thus, she leisurely sauntered through the park until she found an unoccupied bench underneath a tree on a small hill. It sure was a nice place to relax at but if she had a nice view from there, then she found a seating accommodation. If not, she would either draw this tree or find another place. But first, she headed towards the tree and took a seat on the bench. Edna was met by a gorgeous view of the pathway, flowerbeds and pond, along some trees and bushes. She noticed how some of her classmates were still looking for a subject. Shaking her head with a good-natured smirk, Edna took out her sketch-pad and pencil, as well as an eraser. Letting her pencil lightly glide over the paper, she began with her sketching.  
"Hello Princess", a voice sounded from her right hand side, making her jump.  
"Key Master!", Edna exclaimed, half-laughing, half-scared. "Don't scare me like that!"  
"Sorry Princess, but I saw you sitting there and wondered what you're doing here when you still have school", the Key Master said in a matter-of-factly voice while sitting next to Edna.  
"Well, I should have German class but our teacher's not there, so our Art class was moved up from Thursday to now", she explained. "Being here is just part of the lesson, we're supposed to draw whatever we see in the park."  
"I see. And what if you're not finished by the end of the lesson?"  
"Then it will be homework due on our first lesson after summer vacation."  
"Not next lesson?"  
"This school year's almost over. We won't be getting any grades anymore."  
Edna was done with her sketching and now proceeded to do the line art, drawing with more pressure on her pencil now. She sensed how the Key Master was silently watching her; she did not let it bother her. It was not like he was stopping her from drawing.  
"When does the vacation start?", the Key Master asked.  
"The week after next", Edna responded as she did the line art for the trees. "And our drawings are supposedly going to be graded; otherwise our teacher would not demand we finish them."  
"And when do you plan to finish yours?"  
"Hm...", Edna paused, looking up to the skies in thought. "I reckon I'll finish it today, so I won't forget it."  
"Then I'll meet you here in a few hours time", the Key Master responded and stood up. "Well, I'll be on my way. See you later."  
"Bye", Edna waved at him and then went back to her drawings. Nothing else and nobody else distracted until the line art was for about three quarter done. This time, it was Bianca who approached her:  
"Edna, it's time to go back to school."  
The oldest student in the whole school nodded and packed her things before walking with her friend back to the others and to the educational establishment. Several students spoke about their drawings but their many, simultaneously speaking voices were mixed into one unintelligible murmur with only a handful of scraps being audible. Nonetheless, she reckoned no one was able to completely finish their pictures; there just was not enough time.  
"Miss Moore!", Bianca piped up over everybody else. "We still have one last lesson next week, so why don't we finish our drawings then?"  
It was like somebody pressed the Pause button on a DVD remote. The whole class fell silent, alternatively staring at Bianca and Miss Moore. Their teacher could not possibly plan something else for their final lesson now, could she?  
"Normally, I would agree with you, Bianca", Miss Moore responded. "But there might be a possibility I won't be there next week. Only on Friday for my class."  
Edna thought to herself that she was a little saddened to hear that this day was the last time for two months until she would have one of her favorite subject again but at the same time, she was overjoyed at the implication that school would be over an hour earlier this Thursday and next. Her classmates' voices all mixed up in a confusing clutter of conversations, like several movies were being played at once. The noise only stopped when they arrived back at school.

* * *

The moment he arrived to work, Babbitt was summoned by Doctor Marcel. The mini golf enthusiast knew why his boss wanted to see him and this was the reason why he stood in front of the doctor's office door, shivering like a naked Latino in Antarctica. He moved his fist up to the wood of the door several times but stopped approximately a centimeter before touching the material as if some kind of invisible barrier prevented him from knocking. Babbitt knew there was one in a way, his own fear of what Doctor Marcel might say if he learned he failed at his task of catching Edna. But he could not afford to hesitate all day long. So, taking a deep breath and readying himself to expect a death glare from his boss, he knocked and entered the office after receiving the permission.  
"Ah Babbitt", Doctor Marcel said, his single eye fixed on the little man. Babbitt gulped. "Tell me, did you capture Edna?"  
"S-sadly no, doctor", Babbitt replied, gulping once again. "I lost her when she walked through the woods."  
As expected, Doctor Marcel glared at him so much Babbitt could drop dead any second. The old man grumbled like a dog and a vein was popping on his forehead. If he had something in his hands, it would be broken into bits and pieces. Babbitt had the sudden urge to run for his life.  
"Babbitt", Doctor Marcel struggled keeping his voice calm, "is there some truth that René found an Internet video where a person who looks just like Edna is seen in the background?"  
Babbitt was confused. How did Doctor Marcel know this? Did René tell him after all? Nonetheless, the mini golf fan nodded in affirmation. His employer took a little piece of paper and pushed it towards Babbitt, who took it in his hands. It was a small series of letters and numbers, like a license plate number.  
"I want you and René to find out everything you can about this license plate number. Visit the town it belongs to and try to find the restaurant", Doctor Marcel instructed. "Find out if there really is a girl named Edna Konrad employed."  
"Yes sir. Is... is that all?"  
"Yes Babbitt. You are dismissed."  
The mini golf fan left the office with the little piece of paper clutched in his left hand. He sighed in relief, thinking to himself it was not as bad as he thought it would be. Still, Babbitt stopped and stared at the note. Where did Doctor Marcel get this license plate number from? Whatever, he had a task to fulfill, so he pocketed the piece of paper and descended the stairs one floor down. Most of the time, René worked with Bladder in the surveillance room and this was where Babbitt was headed. However, when he entered the room, he only found Ben sitting on one of the chairs. Ben turned around when he heard the door open and close.  
"Oh hi, Babbitt", he greeted his colleague. "What can I do for you?"  
"Uh where are Bladder and René?", the small man asked, his eyes wandering around the room.  
"Oh, their shift won't start until later. Shall I give them a message?", Ben offered, briefly glancing to the monitors.  
"Yes, tell René to come and see me", Babbitt said before leaving the room and going to his usual spot – the door to the solitary cell, where Peter, Bruce, the Washing Maniac and Tiger Head were currently kept in.

* * *

Edna walked home with Bianca and Sebastian accompanying her. She did not even plan to let them come with her, but they simply invited themselves along. Well, it did not bother her, they were her friends and if they wanted to spend time with her, she would not tell them to go away. The only trouble was she did not know how she could tell the Key Master she might not be able to visit him until it was late without any way for contacting him.  
"Edna, do you have any plans what we're gonna do when we all hang out? Girls only", Bianca added to Sebastian, who was looking at both females in curiosity.  
"Uh, actually, me and Tina discussed this just yesterday", Edna began. "We thought of going to the beach and then have a slumber party at one of us girls' homes, perhaps our apartment but we're not really sure."  
"How about we all sleep at my place? It's big enough and we won't be bothering any neighbors", Bianca offered.  
"Sounds good. You could tell Tina about your suggestion, if she's home that is", Edna answered with a smile.  
"Hey gals, I'm still here too, ya know?", Sebastian commented with a big grin. He got a light punch on the shoulder by his two friends. He twisted his face in mock pain but could not keep it for long before he started laughing. Both girls attempted to look serious only to burst out laughing too. People stopped and stared at these three crazy individuals, some chuckling, other shaking their heads in disapproval. None of the three friends let these people bother them; it was their business if they wanted to have fun. Too many adults were too serious; they did not allow themselves to have any joy in their lives. They needed more reason to smile and laugh and not walk around with a face that would suggest a never-ending snow storm.  
A minute or two later, after having calmed down and continuing their way to Edna's place, the three friends entered the living room, where they found Tina reading _Treasure Island_ and listening to Harry Belafonte. She glanced up from her book when she heard them entering the room.  
"Hi guys!", she greeted them. "If y'all hungry, I got a Spanish tortilla in the kitchen."  
"Sounds good to me, I'm starving anyway", Bianca commented.  
"Did you really make enough for all of us?", a rather dumbfounded Edna asked her friend and housemate.  
"Well, I thought you wanted some too and I also thought one of us could eat the leftovers tomorrow", Tina remarked with a shrug. "But you can all eat it now if you want. I can make something else tomorrow."  
"Well, how about it, guys?", Edna asked Bianca and Sebastian.  
"I already said I'm for it", her pale skinned, black haired friend replied.  
"Sure, why not?", the only rooster at a hen party responded.  
"Alright, but follow me", Edna said and headed for the kitchen, being followed by her two friends. She took out three plates from the cupboard and a spatula from a hook on the wall. Using the spatula, she put a medium-sized portion of the Spanish tortilla on one plate, asking Bianca whether it was enough or not. Bianca told her it was enough. Edna placed the plate in the microwave and let the food heat up. She did the same procedure with Sebastian's portion and her own.  
"You know, I just realized we never took off our school bags from our backs", Edna suddenly remarked. Her friends' response was to look behind themselves and forming an "O" with their mouths, in such a synchronized way that one could be the mirror image of the other.  
"We better go and put our school bags in your living room", they said at the same time before staring at each other with incredibly big eyes.  
"I've seen in TV shows how twins can communicate telepathically", Edna commented, "but this is ridiculous. I mean, you two aren't even related." She tilted her head and tapped her chin while pondering aloud: "Maybe it works with lovers too?"  
Her friends' cheeks took on a pink color and they determinedly avoided looking at each other while leaving the kitchen. Edna chuckled and followed them with their portions while her own was being heated up in the microwave. She made a quick detour to her room, where she quickly greeted Harvey and deposited her school bag. Then she rushed back to the kitchen and got her lunch before joining her friends in the living room for eating.  
"How about we all hang out in the park?", Sebastian suggested.  
"I like the idea... but don't you think you two should bring your school stuff to your respective homes?", a fast-thinking Edna replied. That way, she could explain the Key Master why she would be unable to see him.  
"I would like to but I have to watch my little brother in two hours", Bianca declined in a displeased voice. "Hm... maybe I can convince him to sleep at a friend's house when you, Tina and Anika have the slumber party at my place."  
"At your place?", Tina called from her place on the couch.  
"Yeah, we could have the slumber party at my house", the youngest girl in this apartment explained. She finished her portion. "Anyway, I should go now. See ya."  
Thus, Bianca was gone, along with her stuff. Edna found Bianca's sudden departure weird; her friend told her she had to watch her little brother in the evening and the day was still far from the hours of the sun lying down to sleep and the moon and stars watching over the fleeting mortal life. Perhaps it was what Edna said earlier in the kitchen.  
"Well, looks like it's just the two of us now", Sebastian, who did not seem to find Bianca's behavior odd, remarked. Edna was amazed at how dense he could sometimes be.  
"Actually, I've got no time either", she looked around the living room in hopes of coming up with an excuse. "I... uh... I have to wash my hair."  
Edna was aware of the curious way Tina stared at her. It burned unto the side of her head like the rays of sunshine through a magnifying glass. Fortunately, Tina made no comment at all; Edna was still worried Sebastian might notice something, though.  
"Oh... well, maybe another time then", he said in a disappointed tone. "I guess I should go home too."  
He also finished his Spanish tortilla and then went home, after saying good bye, of course. Edna, who was also done eating, brought the plates to the kitchen and, being too lazy to clean them, put them into the sink. On one hand, she was glad she did not have to cancel her meeting with the Key Master but on the other hand, she felt bad she could not hang out with her two friends. Well, she could have gone with Sebastian but she also knew of his crush on her and she really did not want him to feel anything other than friendship towards her. When she returned to the living room, she came face to face with Tina, who gave her a scrutinizing look.  
"What was that about?", she inquired.  
"What was what?", Edna retorted a little defensively. Tina crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow.  
"We both know that was just an excuse. So, what are you really planning?", her eyes widened. "Don't tell me you have a date and you don't want anyone to know."  
"How should I have a date? I'm single, remember?", Edna reminded her and walked past her to the direction of her room. However, Tina did not give up and followed her.  
"Yes, but you've been gone almost every day for the past two weeks and only returned home when it was time for you to go to work. Therefore, my conclusion is that you're secretly seeing someone", Tina deduced while Edna got her drawing from Art class, pencils, eraser and sharpener.  
"It could just be a friend, without any kind of intimacy between me and him", Edna said, pocketing her phone and money and taking Harvey. The thought of how she wished it would be more than friendship crossed her mind while she was still talking.  
"So, you're seeing a male but you're not in any kind of relationship?"  
"When did I ever say I have a male friend?"  
"You used the word 'him'."  
"And why does it matter? I might as well have meant it in a general way."  
"Then you would say 'him or her' or simply 'them' but you didn't, which would suggest you really do have a male friend."  
Edna sighed in exasperation, wishing she could just end the conversation. She could not remember Tina ever being so pushy, not even the time when she forced her to tell her why she, Edna, would still need to go to school despite being old enough to have both feet on the ground.  
"If I promise to tell you another time, will you not bother me anymore today?", Edna offered.  
"Promise?", Tina counter-questioned.  
"Promise", Edna confirmed, offering a hand. The skeptical face Tina made turned into a kind one and she took her friend's hand:  
"Deal."

* * *

The Key Master wandered around the park, near the tree he spotted Edna at earlier that day. It was quite a surprise to see her when she was supposed to sit in stuffy classroom and he actually thought she was playing hooky until she explained why she was here. He could barely remember his own Art classes back when he was an adolescent attending school. His teacher tended to take classes outside when the weather was nice. It was much better than being stuck in a classroom and it was without the entire stress factor from Physical Education.  
He noticed the amount of people, especially children, increased the more time passed. Well, it would not be long until Edna's arrival. The Key Master walked to the bench he saw her sitting on and took a seat and waited... and waited... and waited...  
While waiting, he watched people passing by, either for a date with the partner or to hang around with friends. Children ran around and played with their parents being nearby and watching but also holding conversations with each other. However, there was one kind of person he was unable to spot, no matter how hard he looked, and this was the rare species known as 'female escapee from an asylum'. Granted, he did not know when school ended for her and he had no watch, so he did not even know what time it was. He simply assumed it was around the time she would be at his place. The Key Master started to wonder if she went to his hideout when he spotted her at last.  
"Hi. Sorry, I'm late", Edna apologized, sitting down next to her male friend. "My friends invited themselves along when I went home and after they went to their own homes, Tina pestered me about where I was always going."  
"And did you tell her about me?", the Key Master questioned.  
"I told her I'm seeing a friend... a male friend", Edna replied and took her art supplies out. She let out a short chuckle. "For some reason, she thought I had a secret date. That's ridiculous, isn't it?"  
The Key Master silently asked himself if she was perhaps insinuating something. He noticed how her mouth was formed into a nervous grin but her cheeks were as red as a strawberry. She played with her hair and kept glancing at him with shy eyes. The Key Master thought to himself that she actually did not think it was ridiculous but only pretended to think it was. Why, though, he could not fathom. Nevertheless, he decided to agree with her:  
"Yes. Yes, it is."  
Edna's face fell, ever so slightly. He could see she attempted to hide it and she might have been successful if she had been talking with a person who did not know her well or who was incredibly dense. Even before he saw the disappointment on her face, he felt bad about his answer. Should he have said something else instead? Maybe he should say he really thought differently but something held him back. What if he was misinterpreting her reactions? The Key Master was not the kind of person who could call himself a ladies' man. Edna was the first woman he interacted with since the early Two Thousands. It was not like he did not have any contact to any females but those were usually either the psychologists coming to check up on him or his victims. Admittedly, it was usually the latter, since he was visited by more male psychologists than female... and they suddenly stopped coming to examine him one day. But he could hardly remember anything about their examinations, only that they diagnosed different psychological issues, like schizophrenia or split personality disorder. However, of the few things he could remember from his life before the asylum, he never had any disorders, as far as he knew. Something must have happened for him to become the way he was. But what? And was this even possible? No matter how hard he tried, this was one memory he could not recover.  
"What do you think?", Edna asked, pulling him out of his reverie. She had been busy drawing while the Key Master was lost in his thoughts. He eyed her sketch of the park, finding nothing to complain about.  
"You're a true artist", he complimented her. Edna beamed like the sun at the Key Master. But instead of continuing with her drawing, she put her things away.  
"How about we two just hang out? Like a d- um, like friends do", she proposed. The Key Master had an inkling what she actually wanted to say, based on her near slip of the tongue. But to spare her from any awkward moments, he made no mention of it.  
"Sure, we can", he replied. "Do you have anything in mind we could do?"  
"How about we go swimming? It is warm enough after all. Or... hm... have you already assembled the furniture you took with you last night?"  
The Key Master shook his head. He was too tired and it was too dark to actually work. His plan was to assemble the table he had taken the previous night some time during the day but he was a little too lazy.  
"Then we do this together now before we go for a swim", Edna decided. "But first, let me get my swimming stuff, okay?"  
"Okay", the Key Master agreed and stood up. Like a gentleman, he offered her a hand, which she took with a grin. He decided to take her art supplies for her so that she only had to carry Harvey in her arms.  
"You're quite the gentleman, aren't you?", Edna grinned.  
"I'm just being nice", the Key Master smirked as he accompanied her back to her apartment.

* * *

When Edna returned to her apartment, she found it was lacking Tina. Perhaps her housemate was hanging out with her own friends? Nevertheless, Edna did not let it bother her; she and Tina were both adults. It was not like they had to tell the other where they were going, although Tina's earlier behavior suggested something else entirely. But Edna assumed she was just curious. After all, before her reunion with the Key Master, she spent her free time in the park or at home, now she was usually at places the Key Master was at too.  
"What do you see in that guy anyway?", Harvey questioned in a tone that would suggest he was looking at a bubble bath.  
"And what do you have against him, Harv?", Edna counter-questioned. "He had not done anything to us... at least not since the incident in the church all those years ago."  
"And who says he is not waiting for the right moment to ambush and kill us?", a frightened blue terry cloth rabbit asked. He hyperventilated. Edna, who was gathering her swimming stuff, stopped looking through the closet and took Harvey in her arms.  
"He's not going to, I just know it", she calmed her oldest friend down. "I won't let him, I promise."  
"Well, I'm gonna trust you on that", Harvey responded, sounding doubtful.  
"And you won't regret it", Edna assured him before putting him back on her bed. She turned her attention back to her closet, where she got her bikini out. She put it in a rucksack and took Harvey in her arms and went to the living room, where the towels were kept in a closet. These landed in her rucksack too with a mental note of buying a beach towel for the Key Master. Last on her list was sunscreen. Now with all the items in her rucksack, which was strapped on her back, and with Harvey in her arms, she left the building and met her green-skinned crush, who was waiting at a nearby corner store.  
"Ready to go?", he asked the closer she came to him.  
"Yup", Edna nodded.  
One walk through the forest later, they were at the Key Master's hideout. Edna put both her rucksack and Harvey on the bed. Behind her, she heard how the Key Master dissembled the old table. She was pretty sure the parts would be joining the pile of old wood she noticed in a corner and pondered what he actually planned to do with the wood. It did not look like it could be reused as something else but at least he had some fodder for the fireplace when the cold seasons started. After the old table became nothing more than potential fiery consumer good, the Key Master took the materials of the newer one. It was the kind of table just like the one Edna had in her cell; one where they had to stick the legs to the tabletop. Not the most stable kind but the risk of it falling into pieces because of the rotten wood was lower.  
"Done and done!", Edna commented, beholding their achievement with satisfaction. She turned to the Key Master, who did not look as satisfied as she was but not severely disappointed either. If anything, he looked rather expressionless. "Ready for a swim?"  
"Yes, and I assume you want me to leave the house just so you can change", he replied in a matter-of-factly voice. Edna grinned and nodded, and gave him the beach towel.  
"You can spread the towel out while I'm changing."  
She waited until he left these four walls before she exchanged the clothes she was currently wearing for her bikini. Then, clad only in her bikini, she followed her green-skinned friend outside, with her rucksack in one hand and Harvey in the other. The Key Master sat on the spread out towel, his eyes set straight ahead toward the endless horizon, only turning around when he heard Edna putting her rucksack down.  
"See you in a minute", he said and headed for the house. Edna acknowledged his words with a simple nod before taking the sunscreen and applying it on every part of her body she could reach without twisting herself in ways only a snake could. Fortunately, the Key Master was back by the time her back was the only body part still unprotected, so he helped her and she did the same for him.  
"Hey Key Master?"  
Edna lay on her back with her head turned towards the man next to her. He, unlike her, sat on his derrière.  
"Hm?"  
"Do you remember your true name by now?"  
She eyed him expectedly, the question having crossed her mind more than once among other questions. The Key Master, still not looking at her, shook his head. Edna felt sympathy for him but also disappointment since this was the one thing she was most curious about.  
"Did you ever have a girlfriend?"  
This time, he stared incredulously at her with his eyes as large as they were when they first met. Apparently, he did not expect this kind of question.  
"Why do you ask?", he questioned her, thoroughly puzzled.  
"Curiosity", was her one word answer. The Key Master scrutinized her for a moment, then gave his answer:  
"Yes, I had one."  
Edna sat up, looking more curious than ever:  
"And how serious were you two?"  
"Do you really wanna know? I was a young man in his teenage years back then", he retorted.  
"I'm an adult woman, I can handle the details", Edna assured.  
"True, you are an adult but one whose memories were constantly erased", the Key Master pointed out, earning a glare from her.  
"Are you insinuating that I'm not able to handle the whole truth?"  
"I have my doubts, yes."  
"Be assured, I can handle this. I've grown up since the escape and I know a few things about real life, even if I'm not as experienced as other people my age."  
The Key Master considered her a bit longer; she reciprocated his look with narrowed and determined eyes. Neither averted their respective ocular organs, neither blinked. It was like a staring contest none of them could win.  
"If you really want to know... we were as serious as a couple in their late teenage years could be", he replied after what seemed like an eternity.  
"So, with intimate relations and a future together, right?", Edna calmly inquired.  
"Yes."  
"Has she... has she ever visited you in the asylum?"  
She wondered if this woman's feelings for him were strong to even ignore his murderous tendencies. However, he shook his head.  
"No, she was killed before I ended up there. I have a feeling her death has something to do my being stuck in a padded cell", he replied. Edna opened her mouth, wanting to ask if he was responsible for his own girlfriend's death, but was interrupted: "Something tells me that it wasn't me who killed her. I can't explain it, though."  
"You want to know the truth, right? More than anything you could think of and you don't want to give up until you remember everything."  
The Key Master stared at her as if seeing her in a new light.  
"Yes, that's how I feel", he confirmed. "How do you know?"  
"That's how I felt when I overheard Doctor Marcel talking with Hulgor and calling my father a murderer. That's why I wanted to return to my father's house the day I escaped. I knew I would find the answer there", Edna told him. A forlorn sigh escaped her lips and she looked up at the sky, watching a little bird flying past. "But the truth wasn't much better either..."  
"Really? Why?"  
Edna hesitated. It was not like she did not trust him; she knew she could tell him. However, she was scared... scared of him thinking badly about her. The Key Master never held it against her that she almost killed him. Still, there was a possibility he would change his mind. She heard him moving and, a moment later, she felt his arm around her shoulder.  
"If you don't want to tell me, then it's okay", he said in a soothing voice. A tiny smile spread across Edna's face. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.  
"It's not that I don't wanna tell you... I'm afraid... of you thinking differently about me", she replied in a small voice.  
"I won't, no matter what you're going to say", he said. There was something in his voice that made Edna trust him. Maybe there was nothing to fear at all. Thus, she decided to answer:  
"You know that Doctor Marcel had a son, who died under mysterious circumstances years ago, right?"  
"Yes, I heard his death was the reason why Doctor Marcel became so bitter."  
"And you knew how obsessed he was in erasing my memories, right?", she asked, adding after he nodded in confirmation: "Well, this has something to do with Doctor Marcel's son. He and his son lived in the house next to ours and I had to play with his son, Alfred. When he died, my father took the blame and received capital punishment. Doctor Marcel had to promise to take care of me. But what really happened was something else entirely... Mattis never killed Alfred; he wasn't even near him when he died. At least not until I cried and called for him..." Edna braced herself. This was it. Now she would be telling the man she had developed a crush on the truth. "It... it was me who killed Alfred..."  
Silence fell over them. She waited for the Key Master to say something, anything. But all he did was frowning at her. Was he contemplating whether or not he should send her away and tell her to never come back?  
"What... what made you do this?", he asked, clearly shocked. Edna could not blame him.  
"Mattis locked me into my room after I played a prank on Alfred – I put a lizard down his shirt – and Alfred kept watch at my door. I tricked him into letting me out and locked him into my room. Mattis caught me and, after reprimanding me, he asked me to be nicer to Alfred. I wanted to do as he said, I really did, but when I returned to my room and opened the door, Alfred ran past me and grabbed Harvey. He read my diary, where I called him frog and toad related names and only wrote good things about Harvey. I tried to tell him that I wanted to be nicer to him for now on but he wouldn't listen. He threatened he would tell his father about me talking to a stuffed rabbit and that Harvey would be taken from me. I... I was scared... I didn't know what... what to do... So... so I did what... Harvey told me to. I pushed Alfred down the... s-stairs."  
Tears ran down Edna's face; she tried to hold them back but could not. She hated herself for crying, it made her feel pathetic and like she wanted people's sympathies. But, worst of all, she hated herself for killing her only childhood friend and, indirectly, her father. She felt how the Key Master shifted his seating position so that he could pull her into his embrace. Her heart skipped a beat; she felt a little better knowing he was not pushing her away.  
"I... I miss Alfred... I miss Mattis... I miss them both...", she admitted through her tears. The Key Master soothingly caressed the back of her head, just letting her cry. Edna could not stop the constant stream of tears coming out of her purple eyes.  
"I mean... Alfred was annoying and... and I teased him... but... but... he wasn't so... so bad."  
Her crying continued on for a while; the Key Master comforted her by embracing her. She let it all out. All the feelings of sadness, regret and guilt. She hated crying but she also needed it. It was not wrong to cry, tears were necessary sometimes.  
Eventually, her crying ceased and she leaned back to smile gratefully at him. His face was blurry through all the tears in her eyes.  
"Thank you for being there for me", she said. The Key Master lightly bumped his forehead against hers.  
"You know I'm always there for you."  
Edna instantly felt much better. She was glad to know she had somebody she could count on, somebody to watch over her in a sense that made her feel safe and secure and loved. She had not felt like this since her father's death and even then, it felt differently. Of course, she knew by now why it felt different for her. She loved Mattis like any daughter would love her father while she felt physical and emotional attraction towards the Key Master. Not that she would tell him until she was one hundred percent sure.  
"Now then, still up for a swim?"  
Edna knew he only asked this to take her mind off things and for this, she was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to feel miserable all day long because of the guilt she felt. That was why she replied with a "yes" before springing up and speeding towards the water. The Key Master followed closely behind her and they jumped into the pond.  
"Cold", Edna commented, rubbing her arms and shivering.  
"You get used to it", the Key Master retorted and swam around her.  
"I know, it's not the first time I'm in some body of water in summer", the young woman replied with a small smirk. She started swimming around, right next to the Key Master.  
"Really? I would have thought so", he teased her, earning a punch on his shoulder. "Ow."  
Edna cheekily stuck her tongue out.

* * *

Babbitt sat on his usual chair at his usual spot and was bored to death. There was nothing to do for him but to sit on his behind and make sure no one in the cell behind him ran around freely. So far, the only persons he had seen since he started keeping watch were Hulgor and Anes, both going to Doctor Marcel's office. However, his boss had not left the office all day long, not even to lock himself up in his secret room. Babbitt groaned in his boredom and leaned his head against the wall with its triangle patterned wallpaper, setting his eyes to the ceiling. What would he give to have some company... Anyone, he did not care who. Or for some noise in the cell behind him but they were as silent as a grave. Babbitt knew that one of them never spoke but the other three were usually more talkative.  
"Babbitt!"  
At last some company! His prayers had been heard! Babbitt turned his head to his right to see René approaching him.  
"Ben told me you wanted to speak with me?"  
"Yes, I do. Doctor Marcel has a task for the two of us."  
"And what is it?"  
Babbitt rummaged in his pockets and handed his colleague the note he received from their boss.  
"He wants us to find out as much as we can about this license plate number."  
"Hm, we can do this with the Internet but...", René gave Babbitt a quizzical look, "... um, can you just leave your post?"  
"Not unless somebody else takes over for me..."  
"Then let's meet at my place tonight or whenever you have time."  
"Well, alright. But not tonight, I'll contact you when I have time."  
"Fine by me. I go back to my post now. See you."  
Thus, the young man with the sideburns left the mini golf maniac alone. Babbitt could not wait until his shift was over. He really needed his rest after running for his life the previous night. Just why did Edna and her friend have to go through the forest? It made no sense to him unless they had their vehicle parked in there. Well, no wonder why Edna used to be a patient here and should still be. Nothing she said or did made any sense! And there was still the fact she talked with a rag doll rabbit.  
A door opened and closed at the end of the hallway when a tall, muscular, unshaven, blond man, clad in blue clothes, pushed Doctor Marcel's wheelchair, along with the old, sallow man, out of the latter's office. Babbitt nodded at them and greeted them when Hulgor pushed their employer's wheelchair past him. The small man followed them with his eyes until they were out of sight, guessing the doctor was being rolled to his secret room. Even after having been employed here for years and despite being one of Doctor Marcel's most trusted minions, Babbitt was still unaware of what was behind the door. Once, he got a brief glimpse of the room but could only see that it was tinted in a red glow. Babbitt could make neither head nor tail out of it and knew as much about the room as he did before he could see in there. He sometimes pondered if one of his colleagues knew what was behind that door and he wondered if the cleaners had to clean this room too or if Doctor Marcel did so himself.

* * *

He did not know how but somehow, their swimming around next to each other had turned into a race. Currently, it was Edna, who was in the lead. What they were racing for, he did not know nor did he particularly care. The Key Master was just glad to see her joyful again after she had been so sad. Personally, he preferred seeing Edna happy instead of miserable; he liked her smile, even if he would never say it out loud. But there were a lot of things both of them thought but would never say out loud. If they did, who knew how their relationship would be like? Only one thing was certain, they would both know more about each other.  
"Come on! You can do better than that!", Edna taunted from her position. Smirking to himself, the Key Master increased his speed and soon overtook Edna, who made a dumbfounded face. But as he was swimming, his mind was filled with a single question:  
"Hey Princess, where exactly is the start and finish line?"  
"How about the shore, the spot where the towel lays on the ground?", she called back.  
"Sounds acceptable!"  
Without anything else to distract him, the Key Master kept swimming his rounds. Edna overtook him now and then but he would only retake his position at first place. However, the longer and faster he swam, the more exhausted he felt. Still, he kept on, being too proud to admit he was tired, until Edna wanted to stop the competition. At the time she asked this, she was barely in the lead but she looked like she would fall asleep on the spot any second now.  
"Okay", the Key Master agreed. The last he wanted was for her to fall asleep and drown. They both swam to the shore, get out of the water and lay down on the towel. No one said anything, the only sounds emitting from them were their heavy breathings. Everything was calm and quiet, as if the whole world decided to rest in a sunny place and eat a turkey sandwich.  
"So... who would you say won?", Edna asked after her breathing turned to normal.  
"Dunno. I didn't even know we were competing for something", the Key Master responded. He turned onto his side to look at her. "Besides, what would the first prize be?"  
He watched her shrug, still gazing to the skies above. She had a faraway look on the half of her face the Key Master could see from his position.  
"Actually, I have no clue", Edna eventually admitted. She, too, turned on her side, so that she could look at the man beside her. "Do you have a suggestion?"  
The Key Master thought about this. Technically, he could ask anything from her, should he be the winner, but it would be more difficult if Edna was the winner. He did not have much, only the things in the house, which he would not have if it were not for Edna. But perhaps he should let her decide what she wanted from him...  
"How about we first clarify who won? If I did, I ask of something from you, and if you won, you can ask of something from me", he suggested. "Sounds good?"  
"I like this suggestion", Edna answered. "Now then, should the one who was in the lead last time we swam past the spot were this towel lies be the winner – in this case it would be you – or the one who was in the lead when I asked if we could stop – which would be me, if I'm not mistaken? How about we solve this with a coin toss?"  
"As long as the prize is no medal made of genuine gold."  
"I take that as a yes. Wait here for me."  
The Key Master watched Edna standing up and walking to the house, only turning away after she went inside these four walls. Gazing up to the endless realm of the feathery life forms, he thought to himself that she was probably getting a coin just so they could clarify the issue as soon as possible. Funny how they decided to solve this with a coin toss instead of just swimming an additional round. But he was not going to complain as long as the whole thing would be cleared up. While he still thought this, he heard footsteps indicating Edna's return behind him. A second later, she sat back down.  
"Well then, heads or tails?"  
"Tails."  
The Key Master watched her snipping the coin up in the air. It flipped all the way up and down until it landed on the back of her hand.  
"It's heads", she announced a second later. "Looks like I won. I get back at you for my prize, 'kay?"

* * *

Meanwhile, everything was the same in the recreation room of the mental institution. With that, it was meant that no other patients were taken away to someplace unknown. A small group consisting of King Adrian, Drogglejug and Petra sat in a round for their favorite tabletop role-play game _Hoth Motigor_. Since Peter's disappearance, they asked the Beeman to join them... or rather, King Adrian ordered him to. The Beeman's character was able to tame wild animals, especially bees, and sic them on enemies.  
"You know, Lilligrimm could join us again. She hasn't played with us for years", Petra, whose character was a magician named Petrulla, remarked.  
"Well, if she doesn't want to join us, we cannot force her", King Adrian responded in his booming voice.  
"But you can force me?", the Beeman dryly asked. No one took any notice of him.  
"Drogglejug!"  
"Yes, you're right, Droggie. It would be hard for her to join us when she's not even here", Petra agreed with her friend.  
"Can we start now without any more delays?", King Adrian asked, rather impatiently. The three players started to pay him attention and he began telling the situation. The three heroes were about to infiltrate a creepy, old castle, where their friends and allies were being kept prisoners. Before sneaking in, they went over their plans one last time; they had to keep themselves hidden and take the fastest route to the dungeons. Luckily, two non-player characters in this castle, who were sympathizers of the heroes, helped them out. Of course, it came to a big fight between the heroes and the enemy, with the former emerging as the victors.  
"Are we done now?", a bored Beeman asked.  
"Almost, we'll be receiving experience points and then, we're done", Petra explained. Both she and the Beeman looked at Drogglejug, who was giving out the experience points. He had to decide between character dance, yodeling and the ability to use a vehicle. In the end, he decided for the last one.  
"Am I permitted to leave now?", an irritated man in a bee suit asked.  
"Yes, you may go", King Adrian said. The moment these words left his mouth, the Beeman was gone.  
"Drogglejug!"  
"No truer words were spoken, my good man", their royal leader agreed, "We could indeed do with more players."  
"How about a royal announcement or decree?", the perpetually cheerful woman suggested. Adrian gazed towards the ceiling, but it did not really look at it, and stroke his beard. He seemed to be giving Petra's suggestion some serious thought. Well, it would surely be an effective way to gain more players and they would not be in need of so many non-player characters. At least, there had not been a strange one of unknown origins since the one time Lilli played with them. No one ever figured out where this particular non-player character came from. But enough of the tabletop role-play round. There were other patients in the recreation room.  
One of them was the Ticket Inspector, who was in charge of the laundry lift system. It was because of the large, bearded man in a dark gray coat that three tickets – actually coat hangars – were in circulation. Years ago, all of the tickets had disappeared, which caused quite a riot. No one had been able to use the laundry lift at all unless somebody arrived with a ticket they got from somewhere. But one moment of carelessness on behalf of the guards and one quick visit to the laundry room, the Ticket Inspector was successful in retrieving new tickets. The three patients, who were the first ones to want to use the laundry lift, were fortunate enough to be getting these. Those three were Drogglejug, Washing Maniac and Maestro Frank, an unsuccessful musician who thought he was the reincarnation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart after he was hit on the head with a guitar. Mister Frock wanted a ticket too, but by the time he asked for one, they were all gone. So, now he was literally hanging around the laundry room with the Ticket Inspector and a nervous guy, who always stood in a corner and shrieked whenever someone spoke to him. However, that guy disappeared one day too, an occurrence that happened several times over the last few years. Nobody knew where they all got to or if anyone would ever see them again. Petra once even asked Anes those questions, only to be threatened to be given electroshock therapy. That shut even her up. Nevertheless, the worry and fear of being the next one to be taken away to the unknown was present among every patient...

* * *

Evening approached fast, both Edna and the Key Master had changed back into their everyday clothes and hung their wet swimming clothes over a tree branch for drying. At the moment, they took a walk around the perimeter, with her telling him about the things she learned about her mother – minus the naughty parts, of course. He had asked her if she remembered more of her past and she mentioned her mother's diary, proceeding to tell him about what she learned. There were also other things she told him about, like the private lessons she and Alfred had. Despite having been kids back then, their lessons had been far more demanding than it was to be expected from eight year olds. For example, Algebra was included in the curriculum for Mathematics and there was the fact that they had Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Edna recalled how Doctor Marcel insisted that Alfred should be far ahead of every other child and Mattis thought it would be a good idea for his daughter to learn on a higher level. It was hard for her but she did her best and she was actually good in some of the subjects. Nonetheless, she quickly knew science was not exactly her cup of tea; she knew enough of it, yet could not see herself working in the field of science.  
"I never heard of any child having to learn things they wouldn't until they were in sixth grade, at least", the Key Master commented.  
"Blame that evil doctor known as Horatio Marcel. Maybe everything would have been normal for me if it weren't for him", Edna responded.  
"Yet, your father approved of this..."  
"Mattis wasn't exactly known for having a backbone. I guess that's why he sometimes considered letting Doctor Marcel give me a correction of character..."  
Edna fell silent, thinking back of the night she escaped and pushed the doctor down the stairs. As a child, she was not keen about the idea of having a correction of character. However, after she remembered what actually happened when Alfred lost his life and his father more or less offered to rewrite her personality, she actually considered letting him do this. In the end, she decided against it and never regretted this, despite the guilt never letting her go. Or was it her who clung to her guilt? If this was the case, then why would she do it? Would it not be better to just move on?  
"You didn't have the best childhood, did you?", the Key Master commented. In his voice, there was something that could only be described as sympathy.  
"Well, there were a lot of joyful times but it could have been better", Edna replied. "Especially if you consider that I was stuck in an asylum since I was eight years old."  
"Yeah, that too", the Key Master agreed. "You weren't really given the chance to grow up, yet when I first met you, you were still more mature than other people who actually went through puberty. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about."  
That got Edna's interest. What was the Key Master like in his teenage years? Was he the kind of boy who would not pay attention in school and always talk during lessons? Did he and other boys his age secretly look at pictures of scantily clad, perhaps even naked women? Or was he above it and always did what he was asked of?  
"What were you like when you were in puberty?", Edna asked interestedly. No answer from the Key Master for several minutes. The young woman was about to repeat her question when he replied at last:  
"Let's just say I was quite interested in girls. A little too interested."  
Edna stared at him and was likely to run into something if there had been something to bump against straight ahead. But since the trees of the forest were located opposite of where she and he were walking, she was of no danger of making contact with any kind of wood. Anyway, it was hard for her to believe that the Key Master had such an interest in the female half of Earth's population that he described it as 'too much'. She could not see him as some kind of ladies' man, no matter how she looked at him. He never came across as one but perhaps this aspect of his character had changed as he got older? Edna could not judge as she was still a child when he was an adolescent and she knew next to nothing about that stage of human life. She learned everything she knew about puberty was a hearsay account. And of course the changes of her own body.  
"Why are you staring at me like this?", the Key Master questioned.  
"It's just... it's hard to see you being that interested in females...", Edna mumbled her reply, not sure how he would take this or if he thought she was insinuating something.  
"Oh? And how did I usually come across? As homosexual? Or perhaps asexual?"  
"I don't really know... the latter, perhaps. You didn't seem like you would be interested in any romantic relationships..."  
"I see... I guess it's just hard for me to get back to this kind of things and not just because I haven't attempted to talk to other people yet. I spent a decade in a solitary cell, with only therapists, and Doctor Marcel and his minions as my visitors. It's not easy for me to get used to the thought I could perhaps start a relationship with a woman. Besides, who would want to be in a relationship with a guy like me?"  
The Key Master asked this in such a nonchalant way that Edna was unsure whether he was being serious or just pretending. Still, she wanted to admit that she would not mind starting a relationship with him but her fear held her back. Thus, she said something else entirely:  
"How about we change the subject? Summer vacation's starting the week after next. Perhaps I could introduce you to my friends, if you would like to meet them, and maybe you could... well, you could... you could sleep in my place again?"  
"I wouldn't mind another sleepover, actually", the Key Master admitted. "But perhaps while your housemate's not home."  
"Well, Tina visits her parents for a week every year in summer... But why don't you want her to be around?", Edna frowned while asking her question. Several possible reasons ran through her mind. He wanted it to be just the two of them. Or he did not like Tina and therefore did not want to meet her friends at all. Maybe he was also just shy. There was also the slight possibility that he had been planning to kill her the whole time and was at last executing his plan. Edna doubted it was the last one. He had more than enough chances to do her in and he showed some affection towards her. Her belief that he was still the psycho he was the day she met him had vanished. She could see he had changed and that he attempted to live a normal life, even if the normal part was rather difficult. Well, she could relate with it, having been in the same situation. She was lucky enough to have gotten a lot of help while the Key Master had only a minimal amount of assistance.  
"I don't want to put you into any awkward circumstances", the Key Master responded. "Unless she wouldn't get the wrong idea about us."  
"Depends on what you mean with 'wrong idea about us'", Edna said, crossing her arms over her chest. Harvey, who she had been holding by his ears in her left hand, dangled lifelessly from under her right arm.  
"She could mistake us for a couple", the Key Master reasoned.  
"I'd be surprised if she wouldn't", Edna replied. "Same goes for both Anika and Bianca. I wouldn't even put it past them to play matchmaker..."  
She trailed of, suddenly imagining herself and the man next to her having a romantic candlelight dinner while her three female friends provided some background music on the piano or, alternatively, on a Spanish guitar, despite none of them being able to play any kind of instrument. Personally, she would prefer no matchmakers at all, it would be too ludicrous. She could imagine asking her friends for advice but not to have them set up a romantic date.  
"You know, I can't blame you for not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea about us", Edna remarked. "It would be worse than the time I brought Peter and Petra together."  
"How did you manage to get Mister Gloom and Miss Overly Cheerful together?", the Key Master asked, his eyes widening in astonishment. "And when?"  
"It was the day we broke out; that day also happened to be Peter's birthday. Petra organized a party for him in the lavatory. So, I gave him her special bean dip and he ran to the toilets faster than you could say 'Stinkydrink'", Edna described with a grin. The male Homo sapiens chortled.  
"That's one way to get two people together. An unusual and silly way but effective. Still, I hope you don't plan to do the same with me."  
"Don't worry, that won't happen."  
Edna added in her mind her immense dislike of the idea of the Key Master being with another woman. Thoughts like this one kept entering her brain ever since she had her epiphany in regards of her feelings for him. This side of her scared her; she did not know she could be like that. It made her think of herself as a clingy, jealous girlfriend. But maybe it was normal for people to hate the image of their crush being together with another member of the opposite sex; she did not know.  
"It's getting late...", the Key Master suddenly remarked, pulling Edna out of her reverie. At first, she was confused what he meant until she realized the sun was slowly descending beyond the horizon. He was right with his remark and she could imagine he would want to go to sleep soon.  
"And I bet you want to hit the hay soon?", Edna guessed.  
"Yes, but first, I want to get the chairs in your basement to my hideout. You could help me out."  
"Sure. Um, now?"  
"Yes."  
Edna nodded but before they headed off, they checked on their swimming stuff. When they found them to be dry, Edna put hers in her rucksack while the Key Master put his in the closet. Then they made their way towards Edna's apartment. She left her things on the bean bag chair in his hideout for now. They did not have to walk for too long until they found themselves in the basement of the apartment Edna lived in. Anika and Gregor had given her four chairs back then; she and the Key Master decided to take one each and the other two the following day. It had gotten dark by the time they arrived at his hideout with the chairs. Edna took her things, bid the Key Master a good night and went home.

* * *

A few days had passed since Edna and the Key Master brought the chairs to his hideout. The only thing that had to be done was to find out what to do with the old woods, though he tended towards using them as firewood. But instead of Edna, who was suffering in Math class, and the Key Master, who created a little sculpture with the clay he got from his friend, this paragraph was about both Babbitt and René. It was one Friday morning when they met at the latter's house for breakfast and to search for the license plate on the Internet. Their shift was not going to start until later that day, so they could take as much time as they wanted.  
"Do you reckon it's far away wherever the owner of the car with this plate lives?", Babbitt asked, munching on a buttered toast with bacon. René took of his glasses and wiped them off his shirt and replied simultaneously:  
"I don't know. It could be but it could be closer than we think. I can never remember what the respective first letters on a license plate stands for."  
"Yep, me neither."  
René put his glasses back on his nose and sipped his cappuccino. He had been the newbie around the time Edna and four others escaped. He had even seen her and brought her to the recreation room, unaware she would escape the institution not long afterwards or that Doctor Marcel would develop an unhealthy obsession in both capturing her and ridding the world of childlikeness. Babbitt had told him about the conversation he had with Amy the other day and, just like with the mini golf enthusiast, it made René think. He had started to worry that his treatment of the patients was dreadful. Thankfully, when he spoke with Ben about this, he was relieved to learn he was among the kinder employees. He hated the thought he was possibly inhuman. René liked having friends but it was hard to have any if he had a mean personality. True, he might be working for a crazy and curmudgeon man, who some people considered as evil, it did not mean he was evil too, however. Even he had his doubts about the doctor's plans and yet, he did not say anything about it. It had taken him a long time to find a job and the last thing he wanted was to lose his employment because of his doubts. Thus, he would still do his job, no matter how he thought about this.  
"Done with breakfast?", René asked after he finished both his cappuccino and rolls.  
"Yep. We could now look for the plate number", Babbitt confirmed. Both men stood up, René glanced at the table before deciding to clean that up later. He led his colleague to the room that he called his leisure room. In there was a desk in one corner with a computer, next to it was a shelf with several books about computers and trains. Another shelf, one with safety glass, showcased countless model trains. Babbitt took a look around while René started up the computer.  
"I didn't know you like trains", the mini golf maniac commented.  
"Gramps got me into it when I was little. He got me a toy train on my sixth birthday", René explained while double-clicking on the Internet icon. "Do you have the note?"  
"Yep", Babbitt confirmed and approached him, fishing said note out of his pocket and handing it to him. René took it, glanced at it, and typed the sequence in the search bar. The results popped up almost immediately.  
"This one looks promising", Babbitt said, indicating at the topmost result. René clicked on it, finding at once what they were looking for. The car with this specific license plate number was registered to a certain Tina Kemmer, who happened to live not as far away as Babbitt initially thought.  
"It's just one hour away when taking the freeway", René mumbled.  
"That's convenient...", the smaller man known as Babbitt remarked. "We should inform the doctor about our find."  
The taller one of the two gave a single nod in agreement with the black haired man. Then he took a small piece of paper and a pen and wrote the name of the car owner and her hometown down. Hopefully Doctor Marcel was satisfied with this information for they did not find any more.  
A few hours later, Babbitt and René were at work. They took the stairs up to the topmost floor of the tower to their employer's office. As far as they knew, he should be in there; if not, then he was probably either in the village or in his private room. One knock and they would know. René raised his fist and bumped it thrice against the wood of the door. A second later, they got the permission to enter the office.  
"Yes? What is it?", Doctor Marcel asked the moment Babbitt and René stepped into the room. René pushed Babbitt forward and the smaller man proceeded to give account about their finding earlier that day. The old man listened quietly, smoking his pipe. He did not say anything for a while after Babbitt finished telling. Instead, he turned his wheelchair around and gazed out of the window with his single eye.  
"Good work, you two", a rare compliment from Doctor Marcel. He turned around again. "I want you two and Bladder to travel there and ask her about Edna."  
"But what if she doesn't want to cooperate?", René pointed out. The wheelchair bound man narrowed his eye.  
"Then you kidnap her and hope Edna will rescue her!"  
René opened his mouth, perhaps to contradict again, but Babbitt prodded him hard in the ribs. This caused the taller man to close his mouth and to simply nod.  
"Now then, if this is all, then you may go", Doctor Marcel said, once again turning around and looking out of the window. The two employees left the office and walked to their respective posts.

* * *

Not that far, but still some distance away, was Edna, who took a walk through town with both Anika and Gregor. Initially, she wanted to buy some things for the Key Master but on her way to the store, she encountered these two and they randomly decided to hang out for a while... at least until the movie Anika and Gregor wanted to see was about to start. It was going to start in two hours and they wanted to be at the theater approximately thirty minutes before their movie began.  
"Edna, I talked with my sister about our day together", Anika spoke up. "So far, she had no appointments that day."  
"Great. I would really like to meet your Sis, you know?", Edna responded. "How much older is she anyway?"  
"She's five years older than me", Anika replied just as they walked past a bakery. Her eyes fell upon an éclair through the glass door. "Excuse me for a minute."  
She entered the establishment, leaving Edna and Gregor outside to wait for her. Edna decided to start up a conversation with him:  
"So, how've you been doing?"  
"Not bad", he replied. "We're almost done with furnishing out new apartment, only a few small things left. But what about you? I heard about your hearing, are you nervous?"  
"A little", Edna admitted. "But I guess it could be worse."  
"It's gonna be alright", the pale young man replied with a reassuring smile. "And we're all behind you."  
Edna smiled back; she liked Gregor, he was a great friend. She was happy for Anika to have found such a kind guy for a boyfriend and, to be honest, she thought those two made a cute couple. Should they ever get married, Edna hoped she would be invited to the wedding.  
"Welcome back, Sweet Tooth", Gregor said when Anika reappeared, happily munching an éclair and carrying a paper bag. She grinned at him and handed him the paper bag. Her boyfriend gazed into the bag and took out a donut, which he put back in, and then he took out a palmier in a tissue. He handed it to Edna:  
"I reckon that's for you."  
"Thanks", she said and took the pastry. The three munched on their respective pastries while continuing walking through town. Most of the time, it was Edna and Anika talking, mainly about their day together with her sister and with Bianca and Tina. Gregor, who had finished his donut long ago, only listened to them.  
"And what am I supposed to do that day?", he asked jokingly. "Shall I die of boredom?"  
"That's one possibility, darlin'", Anika joked. Edna chuckled. "Or you could hang out with some guys. Y'know, if every one of us had a boyfriend, you could have a men's day with them. But only my sister has a boyfriend and I don't know if he has time that day. Do you know more in case of Tina and Bianca, Edna?"  
"Tina's single and Bianca has a crush on Sebastian but they're not dating", she replied. "And before you ask, I'm also single."  
"And not interested in anyone?", Anika asked casually. Edna felt her face heat up when she heard the question and thought of the Key Master at once. Both her friends stared at her with large eyes and their eyebrows made, respectively, two arches above their ocular organs.  
"Wait a minute... do you really like someone?", Anika asked. Edna bit her bottom lip, averting her eyes. Even though she could not see it, she had a feeling Gregor and Anika were glancing uncertainly at each other. She had never told anyone about her crush, she did not know how. At least not before she introduced the Key Master to her friends. Hopefully, they would like him and welcome him among them. The last thing Edna wanted was for her favorite people to not like each other.  
"Uh, can we talk about something else, please?", Edna requested, looking pleadingly at Anika and Gregor.  
"Alright, we can talk whatever you want to", the half African responded, though Edna knew by the way she was looking at her that this topic was not quite finished. At worst, Anika would want to talk about this later at work. Or on another day.  
"Um, I think we have to postpone the Smalltalk. Our movie is about to start in forty minutes", Gregor pointed out, showing them the time on his watch.  
"Holy shit, are one and a half hours almost over already?", Anika exclaimed. She turned towards Edna: "Well, we have to go now. See you later at work."  
She gave her a brief hug while Gregor gave her a friendly clap on the shoulder. The couple headed towards one direction, Edna to the other.

* * *

Author's Note: Tina's last name is also taken from a German voice actor, in this case the late Joachim Kemmer. His roles include Sebastian in _The Little Mermaid_ (1989 dub), the Horned King in _The Black Cauldron_ , Jafar in _Aladdin_ and Rafiki in _The Lion King_.  
Maestro Frank is named after Frank Sinatra.


	13. There Was Something Rotten In The Asylum

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **There Was Something Rotten In The Asylum**

More days, actually a week in fact, had passed since Babbitt and René told Doctor Marcel about their find and since Edna indicated to Anika and Gregor that she liked someone. So far, Anika had not questioned her about this but she knew she would sooner or later. Edna expected a confrontation any day. However, she would not know what to say; this was all so new to her. But there was something else occupying her mind at the moment. It was the final school day and, what was more important, they were all about to receive their report cards. The students were called forward by alphabetical order. At the moment, it was Heike who was receiving hers, meaning it was Edna's turn after her. Her heart rate had sped up in nervousness, though only slightly. She attempted to conceal how nervous she felt and just watched Heike. That obnoxious girl's face was filled with contempt, which made Edna assume she was angry at either her grades or at herself. Anyway, Heike stormed off to her seat and, a second later, their teacher called:  
"Edna Konrad!"  
She took one deep breath and stood up and walked to the front of the class. Her teacher gave her the report, telling her she barely scared the C in Mathematics and praising her for her talents in artistic and linguistic subjects. The oldest student in class and the whole school scanned her report, deciding she had a reason to be satisfied with herself. It was not the best but it was still pretty good. Pleased with herself, she returned to her seat, where Bianca and Sebastian asked her about her report card. Her grades ranged from A to a single D, with the best ones in artistic and linguistic subjects while she was more around the B or C area in scientific subjects and Physical Education. Her worst subject was Physics with a D.  
"Good job!", Bianca praised her and Sebastian clapped her on the shoulder. Edna grinned happily and gratefully.  
Bianca was called forward a few minutes later. Their head teacher spoke a few whispered words while handing her the report card. Bianca skimmed over it and then returned to her seat with a satisfied smirk across her face.  
"And?", Sebastian asked eagerly just as Emily was called forward. Edna looked at Bianca with her face filled with curiosity. Bianca showed them both her report. The majority of her grades were As, with the occasional B thrown in-between and a single C in Physical Education.  
"Wow! That's great!", Sebastian quietly praised her.  
"Congratulations", Edna smiled at her. Bianca thanked them with a big happy grin. More students were called forward, one by one. Each one got a few whispered words from their head teacher while receiving their reports. Their facial expressions depended on whether or not they were happy with themselves, with some grinning like a Cheshire Cat and others as miserable as sin.  
Sebastian was called forward when only a handful of students were left. He also shared his grades with his two female friends. His best subject was Physical Education with a B, as was Biology, while English was his worst with a D. All the other subjects were in C range. Edna and Bianca congratulated him too. They spent the rest of the class playing _Hangman_ on three sheets of paper – one for each.

Edna was back home at around lunchtime. When she arrived, she sniffed a delicious smell from the kitchen. It made her realize just how hungry she was. Thus, she headed for the kitchen, where she found Tina making spaghetti.  
"Hi there", Edna greeted her. "I thought you were at work."  
"I have the day off", Tina explained. "And? How's your report?"  
"It's pretty good, actually", Edna grinned. "I can show it to you later."  
"Yeah, I'd like that. By the way, I'm going to visit my brother after lunch, so you either have the apartment all for yourself until tomorrow morning or you can join me."  
Edna considered this for a moment. She had only met Tina's brother once and that was when Gerret arranged for her to move in Tina's apartment. He had taken her to the young man, who, in turn, had called his sister. Since then, she had not seen him again. Sure she would like to see him again and get to know him but she was also not really in the mood for traveling. Besides, she had to work in the evening, which she quickly pointed out.  
"Oh, stupid me", Tina groaned. "I forgot about this. Well, I reckon you have the apartment to yourself then, right?"  
"Yep, but maybe next time."  
Edna left the kitchen and went to her room, leaving her report card on the coffee table along the way, where she threw her school bag in a corner and greeted Harvey, who sat on her bed. She decided to pass the time until lunch was ready by reading her mother's diary. By now, she had read about three years in the life of her mother and it was getting quite interesting. In the last entry Edna read, Vivian mentioned that she saw Mattis and her father talking with each other but when she asked what they were talking about, they refused to answer. Edna had a hunch what this could be about – Mattis wanted to propose to Vivian and asked her father for permission. So, to learn whether she was right or not, she opened the last page she was at and began reading:

 _November 30th, 1986_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I tried talking to Dad again about his conversation with Mattis but he still wouldn't say anything. What's going on? I hope it's not something I have to worry about. Anyway, I arranged with the other teachers in the daycare center a trip to a museum for next Friday. All we need are two parents accompanying us but I'm sure Mattis would come along too if I asked him. He likes kids and I know he's like a cool big brother for the son of his neighbors. I can see he will be a good father._

"Do you think Mattis was a good father, Harv?", Edna asked her lagomorph friend.  
"I think he tried his best to be one", he replied. "He just didn't know how."  
"Mom wrote he was like a cool big brother for the neighbor's kid. But I guess there's a difference between being like a big brother and being a father...", Edna sighed and let herself fall on her back. The open book lay on her stomach. Her eyes were directed towards the ceiling as she thought about Mattis. He never told her what she did wrong when he punished her by either locking her in her room or in the basement and that was often. Well, she did know what she did wrong when it was something involving Alfred. But if it was something else, she did not know, like the time she removed the screws from the backdoor. For some reason, Mattis always insisted the door should be locked at all times. Once, she asked him why but he did not tell her.  
"Edna, lunch's ready", Tina called from the other side of the door. Edna removed the diary from her stomach and placed it in front of Harvey. Then she got up and left her room.  
The table in the living room was already set; the plates were just waiting to be filled. Tina stood at the coffee table and took a look at the report card. She put it down and joined Edna at the table.  
"You did well", Tina complimented her while they filled their plates.

* * *

Another therapy session was over and instead of going home; Amy decided to stroll around the asylum. Ben was in charge of the security cameras, so he could contact her and warn her if either Doctor Marcel or Anes or somebody else was approaching her location. That way, she could hide in case it was prohibited for her to be in certain areas. At the moment, she was on the third floor. She had often seen the door with the yellow sign that showed a lightning bolt in a triangle but had no idea what exactly this room was. The only thing she was certain of was that it involved electricity. She would enter the room now and finally find out what exactly the room was for. Before she did, however, she called Ben on the phone.  
"Hey Benny, is anyone approaching my location?"  
"One moment", her boyfriend replied. Silence for a moment, then: "No worries, there's nobody near the third floor."  
"Good, thanks and speak to you later", Amy said and hung up. Bracing herself for whatever she might find, she opened the door.  
Red lights blinked like from a Christmas tree on a generator that took up the majority of a wall. Right next to the door was a big lever with a red handle and, next to it, was a raised platform with a control panel. However, the object in the middle of the room was what shocked Amy the most. It was an electric chair! She had heard how some employees talked about the electroshock therapy but she always thought it involved harmless shocks and no electric chairs. Were these not used in the United States for executing capital punishment? Or at least, once upon a time, she was not sure in that regard. Nevertheless, the sight of this chair made her feel uneasy; she wanted to leave the room immediately. She opened the door a crack and glanced left and right to see if somebody was coming. When she saw nobody, she left the room. But before she did so, she looked to her right and saw the control panel. Of course, they would regulate how strong the electroshocks were going to be, she forgot about that. Still, she did not like being in the same room as an electric chair and thus left the room and went upstairs, wanting as much distance between her and the room as possible.  
"Ben", Amy said as she entered the surveillance room. She took a seat next to her boyfriend and let out a groan. "Did you know they have an electric chair in that one room on the third floor?"  
Ben frowned at Amy.  
"You mean that door with the yellow sign?", he asked, to which she nodded in confirmation. "I thought it was just a generator room or something to power up the asylum... Don't tell me they use it for the electroshock therapy."  
"I believe that is exactly what it's used for", Amy gave her opinion. "And who knows what else the doctor is using the chair for." She leaned forward, staring at Ben with penetrating eyes. "Do you suppose he uses it to kill patients?"  
"I wouldn't be surprised if he actually did... There's a lot of fishy stuff going on here. For example...", Ben stood up, indicating to her to do the same, and pointed at a few selected doors seen in the background of several monitors. "I often see either Doctor Marcel or Anes entering these rooms. Now and then, somebody comes to bring some kind of material in there. But I've never seen a patient being escorted to the washrooms. Well, maybe it just happened when I wasn't working or at least not in the surveillance room but that would be too much of a coincidence."  
"I've never seen what's behind those doors either", Amy mumbled, her eyes traveling from monitor to monitor. A look of determination crossed her face. "But I'm going to find out."  
"Then you're going to need this", Ben produced a golden key. "A copy of the master key. I found countless of those in the trash can next to the backdoor and took several of them."  
A cheeky grin spread across his face, giving him a youthful look. Amy chuckled when she took the master key.  
"Do you always rummage trash cans?"  
"Only when I think it could be useful."  
Amy chuckled again and, after informing where these rooms were located, left the surveillance room. The closest one was actually on the same floor she found the electric chair, just behind the grate. So, she went there and unlocked the grate and entered the first room on her left hand side, after unlocking it. The first thing Amy could see was a window and, to the left of it, a cell door, not unlike the one on the topmost floor of the asylum's tower. In front of the window stood a table and, on it, something that looks like a microphone. A red alert button was attached to the wall next to the table. Slowly, Amy approached the window and looked through it. Her jaw dropped. Beyond the window and therefore beyond the door, was a padded cell full of blue rag doll rabbits. They all looked like they were made by somebody who only recently took up sewing. Arms and legs were strangely placed; one arm, for example, might as well grow from the head. Among those countless rabbits sat a single figure; it was a pale skinned young man in a gray jump suit. He trembled like a leaf while he sewed another rabbit. His wide open, bulgy eyes traveled upwards and met Amy's brown eyes.  
"Hello?", she greeted the man. His response was a short, high-pitched shriek.  
"Who are you?"  
Another shriek.  
"Why are you making those rag doll rabbits?"  
He shrieked yet again. It seemed that this was his only form of communication. No matter what Amy said, the man would only shriek as if his skin came into contact with an ice cube on a hot summer day. She was about to say something to calm the nervous man down but then, she heard footsteps coming closer and her phone vibrated when she got a message:

 _Hulgors coming to u. get away asap_

The door handle was being pressed down a second later. With nowhere to run off to, she dived under the table and not a moment too soon. The door opened and Amy could see Hulgor entering the room from her hiding place.  
"Hmph, Babbitt must have left the door open again", the large man said to himself as he approached the cell door. He produced a key from his pocket and opened it, entering the cell. Amy could hear Hulgor talking to the patient:  
"Not nearly enough rabbits. What are you doing all day long? Sleeping? Work faster, damn it!"  
The nervous man screamed.  
"Can you only scream?"  
Another shriek. Hulgor groaned and Amy imagined that he was shaking his head. She heard heavy footsteps and, a moment later, saw the blond man clad in blue leaving the cell from her hiding place. He left the room and Amy heard him locking the door. She waited for another minute before coming out from under the table. She glanced with furrowed brows at the nervous man, who was back to sewing again. Vowing she would do whatever she could to get him out of there, she unlocked the door again, left the room and relocked the door. Listening intently in case anyone was approaching, she quietly walked to the grate and did the same as she did with the door only seconds earlier. Her discovery had both shocked and confused her. If this was what happened behind in each solitary cell, then why was it kept a secret? More importantly, why did that even happen? Why were patients sewing blue rag doll rabbits? It might be a form of occupational therapy, Amy concluded, but why were they not with the others in the recreation room? That screaming guy surely did not come across as dangerous. Of course, she was only theorizing at the moment. She needed to find out more...

* * *

Edna was alone in her humble abode; Tina left an hour ago. The young woman lay on her bed and read a few more entries of Vivian's diary and listened to some music, although she was considering taking a break from reading and to visit the Key Master instead. Maybe she should invite him to spend the night here... Edna did not really like being alone. If she had no one but Harvey to talk to, she would only start to think about the deceased and she would get depressed. She preferred to know there was somebody a few rooms away she could talk to. True, she could have joined Tina and instead have worked longer hours the next two days but she was simply not up for a long car drive. Edna finished reading the entry and shut the book after placing a bookmark on the page.  
"I'm gonna visit the Key Master now, do you want to join me, Harv?", she asked while putting the diary on her bedside table.  
"No thank you", the stuffed lagomorph declined, sounding a little angry. Edna glanced at him with a frown but did not say anything. She stood up, took her phone and money and then left her room.  
When she arrived at the Key Master's hideout, she noticed he was nowhere to be seen. Before opting to go to town and look for him there, she decided to knock first. There was, after all, a possibility that he was just indoors. Why he would be on such a fine day like this, she could not fathom. Edna knocked twice and waited for a response.  
"Come in, Princess", came from the other side. She opened the wooden instrument of exclusion and found her friend sitting at the table, making a clay figure.  
"How did you know it was me?", she questioned.  
"I was just assuming it was you", he replied, glancing at her for a moment. "And besides, you're the only one who knows I'm here. Unless, you told anyone about my location." He looked at her questioningly. "Have you told anyone about my location?"  
"No, I haven't", Edna shook her head. She sat on one of the empty chairs and watched the Key Master forming something with the clay. "What'cha making?"  
"You'll see", was his vague reply. He looked at her again. "Hm? Without Harvey today?"  
"He didn't want to come along", Edna responded. She tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, I have the apartment to myself until tomorrow morning. If you'd like to, you could spend the night at my place."  
"Hm, sure. I don't see why not. But is it just me or are you always asking me to sleep at your place when you know you're spending at least one night alone?"  
The Key Master looked at her questioningly. Edna grinned and played nervously with her hair.  
"Well, I like to know someone I can trust is just a few steps away. And... I like your company", Edna admitted. She did not name her third and most important reason, which was her crush on him. She had her doubts she would ever say it out loud.  
"I have a feeling you mentioned the last part once before but for the record, I like your company too", the Key Master replied. Edna's heart skipped a beat in joy; hearing him say this made her feel as happy as a clam at high tide. He went back to his figure and she watched him working on it, trying to figure out what he was making.  
Her phone began ringing, making them both jump at the sudden, unexpected noise. Edna mumbled a word of apology while taking her phone and looking at the screen to see it was Bianca calling her. She picked up the call.  
"Yes?"  
"Hey Edna, me, Sebastian and my little brother are going for a swim in our backyard", Bianca said from the other end of the line. "Do you want to join us?"  
"Join you at your place for swimming?", Edna glanced at the Key Master, silently asking him if he would not mind it if she left him alone. He gave her a nod. "Sure, I'll meet you at your house."  
"See you later", Bianca said and hung up. Edna pocketed her phone and then turned towards the Key Master:  
"Well, I'm sure my friends wouldn't mind it if I bring along a guest."  
"Edna, I appreciate your offer", he interrupted her, "but I would like to finish this figure. Maybe next time."  
"Oh... okay", Edna answered, a little disappointed. "If you're done with it, you can just go to my apartment."  
"Alright", the Key Master nodded. Edna stood up, walked around the table and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"I see you later", she said and left.

* * *

Amy had found another one of the rooms Ben told her about. Like the first one, it was behind a grate. But this time, she remembered to lock it after going through. The room beyond the locked door was identical to the first one, the only differences being the person in the solitary cell and the amount of blue rag doll rabbits. There were so many that the person had little to no space to move. This person was a young woman, whose curly red hair hung lifelessly from her head. Her skin was pale from the lack of sunlight and, as it was the case with the nervous guy, her eyes were large and bulgy. In front of her was a box but Amy could not see what was inside of it.  
"Um hello?"  
The red head looked up from the lagomorph she was currently sewing.  
"You shouldn't be here. I'm not allowed to talk to people... at least not to living people", she said. At least she could speak intelligibly, unlike the guy in the other cell.  
"I'm Amy, and who are you?", the therapist asked.  
"I'm Miranya the Medium", the red haired woman replied. "Really, you shouldn't be here."  
"Why are you here? And why are you making those rabbits?", Amy questioned, ignoring Miranya's warnings.  
"Doctor Marcel had me locked in here years ago, for no reason at all!", Miranya angrily exclaimed. She brandished the rabbit she was sewing in the air. "And he's been forcing me to make these ever since! I don't know why or what for, all I know is that I can't see the color blue anymore!"  
She sighed and let her shoulders drop.  
"You're the second person I found who is making those", Amy remarked, causing Miranya to stare at her in astonishment.  
"Really!? I always thought I was the only one..."  
"Yeah, but what does Doctor Marcel need them for?", Amy's eyes traveled from one corner of the cell to the other. There was hardly any padding visible behind all those blue rabbits. This was all very suspicious. Last time she checked, it was an asylum for the mentally ill and no toy factory. She would understand it if it was a part of occupational therapy but there were more indications that it was not.  
"Beats me", Miranya replied and picked her sewing up. "But you should really go before Doctor Marcel catches you."  
"Yeah, you're right", Amy heeded the red head's warning at last. "I'm gonna find out if there are any more patients making those rabbits. I have a feeling it's something to worry about..."

* * *

Edna, with her rucksack hoisted on her back, stood in front of a large and beautiful house. The exterior walls were as white as snow; the roof was as gray as granite. Beds with a wide array of beautiful flowers left and right of the front door and the path leading up to the house gave the property some color. If Edna were asked to name all those flowers, she would surely fail. She only saw them but did not know their names; there were only a few flowers she could name.  
Edna rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open. She did not have to wait for too long until a woman in somewhere in her forties opened the door. She looked a lot like Bianca, albeit with darker skin and light brown hair; not to mention that she looked older. But it was apparent that she was Bianca's mother.  
"Hello, Missus Piumala", Edna greeted her, receiving a kind smile in return.  
"Hello Edna", Missus Piumala replied. "Please, come in."  
She stepped aside and let Edna enter the house. The foyer always reminded Edna of her childhood home, only that it was in a much better shape. Next to the entrance door were coat hangers and, beneath these, was a cupboard filled with some of the shoes of the Piumala family. Edna knew it could only be a selection of the family's footwear since both Bianca and her mother were obsessed with shoes and the amount of them they both own would not fit in this small cupboard, least of all with the other family member's shoes in there. A staircase led up to the upper floor; left of it was another cupboard. The walls were decorated with still lifes and landscape paintings.  
"You can change in Bianca's room", Missus Piumala told Edna. "She and the boys are already waiting for you."  
Edna nodded and thanked her friend's mother before going upstairs and taking the second door to the left.  
Bianca's room had lavender walls; one of them was painted with white flowers. Her fluffy carpet was as green as the grass of a meadow where cows and sheep would be grazing. Across the room was a window, which, if Edna would look out of it, showed the backyard. Beneath the window was a desk; a laptop and three books were placed on it. Left and right of the desk was a closet, though one was larger than the other. Bianca's bed was right underneath the wall painting of the white flowers and, opposite of it, was a television set with a video game console. To their right was a stereo system.  
Edna took her rucksack off and fished her bikini out. Then she got changed and folded her everyday clothes, putting them in her rucksack after taking out a towel. After putting on a pair of flip-flops, she left the room and went downstairs and through the backdoor. Her eyes immediately fell on the large swimming pool that took up most of the backyard. A tree that was planted near it provided shade for those resting in the beach chairs. The rest of the garden was just green grass and even more flower beds. Edna spotted Bianca sitting in one of the beach chairs and Sebastian and a boy, who looked like a male version of Bianca, albeit with darker skin, playing in the pool with a water ball. The boy was her little brother Luca, a preteen around twelve years of age and who looked up to Sebastian.  
"Hi guys", Edna greeted them. They all said their words of greeting too, with happy smiles adorning their faces.  
"Glad you could come", Bianca said while Edna was putting her towel on one of the unoccupied chairs. The former patient of a mental institution frowned at her friend of Italian heritage from her father's side.  
"Of course I could. I did say I would, didn't I?"  
"Yeah, but you sounded uncertain on the phone", Bianca pointed out. Edna's frown deepened. Had her uncertainty really been that apparent on the phone? She thought she hid it well but it seemed like she was wrong. Bianca tilted her head, blinking at her friend with her large, dark eyes.  
"Is there a reason why you were initially unsure on whether you could come or not?", she inquired.  
"No, there isn't", Edna lied. Her conscience reprimanded her to tell her friend the truth at once but she tried her best to ignore it. She would tell them the truth eventually, just not yet. Bianca scrutinized her with penetrating eyes for a moment.  
"If you say so", Bianca shrugged before joining her brother and Sebastian in the pool. Edna followed her a second later after taking off her flip-flops. The cool water felt so good on her skin on a warm day like this. Actually, she preferred natural bodies of water, like the sea, over swimming pools but she saw nothing wrong with those. It was great when one had nothing else nearby. With the exception of the river, there were no natural bodies of water around here, unless one would count the pond at the Key Master's place, though even that seemed to be manmade.  
Sebastian threw the water ball at Edna, which she caught and threw in the direction of Luca. With a laugh, he threw it to his sister and she threw it back to him. This time, the youngest one in the water threw the ball towards Edna, who threw it to Sebastian. This went on and on until Sebastian dived under the water and yanked Bianca's leg. She shrieked in surprise and when he reappeared with a boisterous laugh, she splashed him with water.  
"Oh you!", Bianca growled laughingly and splashed him once more. Then she chased him around the pool, like a cat chasing a mouse. Edna and Luca, who had both left the pool, watched the spectacle as if this were a Formula One race, only less boring.  
"Do you reckon she would catch him?", Edna asked Luca.  
"Only if he lets her", the young boy replied. Their eyes followed both teenagers swimming around in circles so fast that they were beginning to feel dizzy. It was amazing how much stamina Bianca showed since she was not exactly an ace in sports. Luca left the backyard and returned a short time later with two popsicles. He gave one to Edna and they leisurely ate the cold sweetness while Bianca began to heave and slow down in her chase.  
"I... I can't... go on... any... any lon... ger", she heaved. She slumped against the edge of the pool, breathing heavily. Sebastian swam to her and put an arm around her.  
"Let's get out of the water", he suggested. "C'mon, I help you."  
He climbed out of the water and then, he helped Bianca out of it. She headed for the chair she was occupying earlier and plopped down in it. Sebastian sat down, too and noticed Edna and Luca eating popsicles a moment later. His jaw dropped at the sight of this heinous act.  
"If you want one too, just go into the kitchen", Luca pointed out. Sebastian stood up and went into the house.  
"Looks like she couldn't catch him after him all", Luca commented after the older male was gone.  
"Yup", Edna agreed, finishing her popsicle. Seeing no wastebasket around, she went inside too and went to the kitchen, where she knew a wastebasket was. Sebastian left the kitchen with two popsicles in his hand the same time Edna went inside. The room for cooking meals was fairly big, much bigger than the one in her apartment. There were a lot working spaces for cutting, mincing, slicing and what else was required for preparing some dish. An elderly woman stood at the kitchen counter and rolled out dough. This was Bianca and Luca's paternal grandmother, Francesca Piumala. After her husband left her, she moved to Switzerland, where she found out she was pregnant with Bianca and Luca's father. She learned French and German while living in Switzerland and raised her son alone. A few years later, she moved to Germany because of her job, something that neither she nor her son were happy about. But they had gotten used to their life here; after all, her son got married here.  
"Good afternoon", Edna greeted Nonna Francesca.  
"Ah ciao, Edna", she responded with a smile. "How are you doing?"  
"I'm doing fine, thanks for asking", Edna said, reciprocating the smile with one of her own. She threw the popsicle stick in the wastebasket in a corner.  
"Would you like a cookie?", Nonna Francesca offered, indicating at a baking tray fill of finished cookies on another counter.  
"Sure, thanks", Edna replied and took one, taking a bite out of it. It was still a little warm but it was obvious that it was taken out of the oven ages ago.  
"Do you like it?", Nonna Francesca asked. Not wanting to reply with her mouth full, Edna responded with a thumb up.

* * *

By the time both Amy and Ben were back home in the afternoon, the former had found several more solitary cells where patients were forced to make blue rag doll rabbits. She was telling her boyfriend about her discovery while he made a cup of tea. Just like her, he was confused and shocked about this.  
"What does Doctor Marcel want with so many rabbits?", he questioned. "Is this some kind of new therapy?"  
"If it is, then I must have missed the 'blue rabbit therapy'", Amy retorted, opening a cookie jar and taking out a chocolate chip cookie at the same time. Munching it, she leaned against the kitchen counter and watched her boyfriend pouring hot water into the cup with a teabag.  
"I have a feeling that, whatever Doctor Marcel is planning, it can't be good", Amy added after she finished her cookie. "I mean, children love stuffed animals but Doctor Marcel hates children, so he's surely up to something."  
"There isn't something rotten in the State of Denmark but in the mental institution", Ben responded, to which his girlfriend nodded in agreement. He took his cup of tea and went to the living room with her following. She turned on the television set and joined Ben on the couch. They silently watched an old show from the Eighties, though Amy did not really pay attention. Her mind was occupied with the poor patients, forced to make stuffed rabbits for some unknown, but surely evil, reason. She really wanted to help them but did not know how. She could not go to the police and file a charge against the doctor; he had too much influence. The first time she held a therapy session in the asylum, she overheard Bladder and Hulgor talking about the short time the doctor was in jail and how someone bribed him out of it. As far as she knew, none of the employees had ever figured out who had done it.  
"Penny for your thoughts?", Ben spoke up, having noticed his girlfriend was lost in her thoughts like it was a labyrinth.  
"Hm? Oh, just thinking about the patients in these solitary cells...", she replied, absentmindedly playing with the corner of a pillow. Ben took her into his arms, gently stroking the back of her head.  
"You're really worried about them, aren't you?", he said in understanding.  
"Yeah, I want to help them but it would be almost impossible with just the two of us against the rest of Doctor Marcel's minions..."  
"We will find a way, I know we will."

* * *

Missus Piumala gave both Edna and Sebastian, who both had a paper bag of Nonna Francesca's cookies in their laps, a ride home several hours later when it was slowly getting dark. She had to run some errands in town, so she offered them to give them a lift. Right now, they were parked in front of Edna's home. The young woman got out of the car, thanked Missus Piumala and said good bye to her and Sebastian. She went into the building and up to her apartment after Bianca's mother drove off. She had to go to work in two hours, so she decided to make herself something to eat and left the cookies on the kitchen counter. While eating her sandwiches, she watched an episode of _Star Trek: The Next Generation_. On her way home, she had hoped the Key Master was already here, waiting for her, only to be disappointed. Maybe he would be coming later. After finishing her sandwiches and the episode, Edna decided to take a shower. Since she was all alone at home, she got undressed in her room and headed in her birthday suit to the bathroom. She stepped into the bathtub and let the water run, suddenly thinking of the shower scene in _Psycho_ and feeling glad she was home and not in a motel run by an insane guy with a split personality disorder. It was hard to hear anything that through the pattering of the water hitting her skin and the tub. If there was anyone entering her apartment, even the bathroom, she would not hear it. By the time she would notice someone was here, they would either be long gone or she would be dead or both. But that was all theoretically.  
Edna turned the shower off and grabbed a towel to wipe the water off her face. She carefully stepped out of the bathtub before drying herself off. Afterwards, she wrapped the towel around herself and took a comb from a drawer. With this, she went through her hair slowly and carefully as if it would all fall off if she were faster. Edna did usually not care about her appearance but she did prefer having well-groomed hair. The sight of her dark hair hanging lifelessly from her head only reminded her off endless hours being hypnotized to have her forget everything about herself and her past, thereby enabling Doctor Marcel to rewrite her personality. Thanks to Harvey, this never worked. Edna put the comb away when she was done and took the hairdryer for what its name suggested it was used for.  
As dry as she was at the time before she took a shower but a lot cleaner now, Edna left the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around the body. She could have left the room without it but soon found it was a good thing she did. The same time Edna entered the living room, the Key Master, carrying a bag, entered the same place too. Both stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing each other, a blush covering their face. She noticed his eyes traveled up and down her body, which made her face heat up even more to the point she felt like a bowl of tomato soup on a cold autumn day.  
Awkward, awkward, awkward, awkward! The word kept repeating in her head. Her brain seemed to malfunction as she was unable to do or say anything about this situation. She had not thought that the Key Master could arrive here while she was in the bathroom. He, too, seemed to be incapable of thinking clearly. They were both rooted to their spot, gaping at each other with their mouths widen open. A loud clang, as if a pot fell on the floor, resonated from an apartment a floor above, making them both jump and nearly giving them a heart attack. But at least they stopped resembling wax figures and their brains had rebooted as well.  
"I... I be-better get... get d-dressed", Edna nervously stuttered, rushing to her room before the Key Master could say anything. She leaned against the closed door after having entered her room. Her right hand was placed above her heart that pounded rapidly against her chest. Never in her life had she felt so embarrassed. It was a disaster, a catastrophe! How could she ever look at him without her face turning into a tomato? She should have known that there was a chance of him appearing while she was in the bathroom! She should have taken her clothes with her and get dressed there! But instead, she put him and herself in the most awkward situation of her life! The scene when Seven asked Harry Kim if he wished to copulate with her was nothing compared to this!  
"Edna, are you alright?", Harvey asked worriedly from his spot on the bed. Edna swallowed hard and moved away from the door, approaching her bed.  
"The Key Master saw me like this...", Edna sounded like she wanted to die of embarrassment.  
"Did you punch him?", the lagomorph asked. Edna shook her head, telling him she was too shocked. He insisted that she would have done so and should do this after she got dressed. However, Edna ignored his suggestion. It was time for her to go to work.

* * *

It was dinner time in the mental institution, where Edna and the Key Master used to be patients. The cook prepared wieners and toast for the remaining patients. Petra was not exactly happy about having to eat sausage; she did not want any animals to suffer and therefore ate no animal products. However, she was the only one who thought like this. Everyone else did not care, as long as they got something edible – though they would like it if there was another free choice day. As the name suggested, they could order whatever they wanted but it happened rarely. Last time they had a free choice day was almost six months ago. Since then, they had to endure whatever the cook was serving, which could sometimes be delicious but disgusting at other times.  
"Aren't you eating anything, Petra?", Professor Nock asked the peppy girl.  
"I would if they had a salad or anything not made from animal products", Petra replied.  
"Tough luck, this is the only thing we will get until breakfast tomorrow", the Beeman reasoned. "Unless you sneak to the kitchen tonight and steal an apple or something, you're going to starve."  
"Oh, I will be alright", she assured him. "But thanks for your concern."  
The Beeman refrained from sighing and just went back to his portion. Guards standing at every possible entrance eyed the patients suspiciously, ready to intervene in case they stepped out of the line. They needed no other food fight or patients planning an escape. These loonies would only be a danger to themselves and other people if they ever managed to break out. That was why the guards never let any patients run around alone and why the grates were always locked. Still, they could not explain how some patients still managed to run around freely in areas they should not run around freely. Perhaps they were smarter than the guards gave them credit for... Nevertheless, the loonies were always caught before they could get out of the building and in the rare cases they managed to, they were unable to leave the premises. So, they were not exceptionally intelligent, especially not since they try it again and again despite knowing what Doctor Marcel would do to them.  
Dinner was over, the guards gathered the patients together in one big group. There were two guards on each side of the crowd for escorting them back to the recreation room. The patients were allowed to occupy themselves with board games or drawing. When it was getting time to go sleep, the employees would escort them to the bathroom facilities and then to the dormitories. When the patients were done, a guard would escort a loony from solitary confinement to the bathrooms, though there was always the risk of someone still being there when the patient in solitary was about to use the facilities. But it happened rarely, so none of the employees were worried. As long as everything was going Doctor Marcel's way, everything was fine.

* * *

It was late at night, past midnight in fact. Edna, who just returned to the apartment complex after her work shift, drove the elevator up to her floor. She was the only one using it but it would not have mattered anyway as her mind was back to a few hours ago, when she had the awkward encounter with the Key Master. When she left for work, he was nowhere to be seen but his bag lay next to the couch. She pondered where he had been... Had he gone out for a walk to clear his mind? Or was he hiding from her? No, that could not be, Edna thought as she shook her head; he did not seem like the kind of guy who would hide because of an uncomfortable incident. If he was in the living room when she returned, she would ask him, though she would choose her words carefully, so that she would not indicate he was a coward. She did not want him to wrongly assume she would think that of him. The Key Master was careful and wary but not cowardly.  
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Edna stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway until she reached the door to her apartment. She fished her key out of her bag and unlocked the door and stepped inside. Her confirmation that the Key Master was still here was a sound she heard from the living room while she was relocking the door. It sounded like one of Tina's movies; one Edna knew too, even though she did not immediately recognize it. But it was familiar to her, nonetheless. Wondering what the Key Master was watching, she walked into the living room, where she found him watching _Tangled_ and, by the looks of it, he was still at an early part of the movie. He made no indication that he noticed Edna entering the living room, either because he really did not or he was deliberately ignoring her. She hoped it was the former; the latter would just hurt her feelings. Wanting to find out which reason it was, she approached him and sat next to him on the couch.  
"Hello", she said simply. The Key Master turned his head towards her and stared at her with eyes that betrayed no emotions.  
"Hello Princess", he greeted her back. "When did you get back?"  
"A minute ago", Edna replied. Her eyebrows were furrowed into a frown. "You weren't ignoring me, were you?"  
"No", he denied. "I have no reason to ignore you, so why should I?"  
"Well, it could be you still feel embarrassed about the awkward moment a few hours ago", Edna pointed out, her face heating up at the memory. She was not the only one since the Key Master blushed as well.  
"Still no reason for me to ignore you", he stated before adding quietly: "But sorry about this..."  
"It's not your fault, I didn't think you could appear when I'm only in a towel", Edna smiled at him to show she was not mad. "Besides, you've only seen my shoulders, arms, and legs, all of which you have already seen before. It's not like you saw me in nothing but my birthday suit."  
The Key Master's face took a darker shade of red and he cleared his throat:  
"If you don't mind, I would like to watch this."  
Edna nodded and stood up again; she went to her room where she changed into her pajamas. Before rejoining the Key Master, she headed for the kitchen and took the cookies she got from Nonna Francesca. By the time Edna was back in the living room, the movie was at the part where Rapunzel negotiated a deal with Flynn Rider. Sitting next to the Key Master and offering some cookies, she watched the scene with interest. She wondered why he chose _Tangled_ of all the movies in the shelf, though she was not complaining. It was enjoyable and fun to watch and she could kind of relate to the main character. Thus, they both watched the movie in silence whole eating the cookies and laughing at the funny parts. But at the lantern scene, neither made any kind of sound, they were just awfully quiet. Unconsciously, they moved closer together and put their arms around each other. She rested her head on his shoulder and he leaned his head against hers. They stayed like this for the rest of the movie, not realizing they were in such a position that anyone could mistake them as a couple. But Edna felt too comfortable and secure to think too much about it or to notice it. Besides, he did not seem to mind either, so there was no reason for her to move if she had realized their position. It was only when the credits rolled when they both noticed how close they were. They jumped apart with blushing faces.  
"So, um, what did you think of it?", Edna asked, fidgeting with her fingers and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"It was enjoyable", the Key Master replied while he pressed the Stop button on the remote. "It was quite an interesting adaptation of the fairytale, but I do like the fact that there was an actual reason for Rapunzel to have incredibly long hair."  
"Except for preventing her to leave the tower on her own", Edna pointed out, crumpling the empty bag where the cookies were kept in up. "Otherwise Mother Gothel could have just used a rope. Although, we saw Rapunzel could even escape with her hair."  
"Hm, you've got a point there", the Key Master agreed the same time he put the Blu Ray back into its case and back to the shelf. Edna quickly went into the kitchen to throw the paper bag in a waste basket. When she returned, she found the Key Master studying the movie collection.  
"Is there anything you could recommend, Princess?", he asked nonchalantly. Edna thought for a moment as her purple eyes traveled through the collection. She had seen some of the movies and thought some were really good but she did not know what the Key Master liked, so it was difficult for her to make a recommendation. There were some where she would say to watch it at least once but even then, she was unsure if he would like them. Nevertheless, she pointed at those.  
"I've been wanting to watch these for quite some time", Edna said, pointing at the two DVD boxes labeled _Pushing Daisies_. "But I think it would be too much to watch in one night. Besides..." She covered her mouth when a yawn escaped her. "... I'm feeling quite sleepy."  
"Perhaps you should better go to bed then", the Key Master suggested. "I will sleep on the couch."  
"Oh no, you don't", Edna replied, narrowing her eyes at him and hitting his chest with her index finger on each word. "I saw how uncomfortable the couch was for you last time you were here. I insist you take my bed and I will sleep on the couch."  
"Why don't you sleep in your housemate's bed if you insist I take yours? That way we both would have it comfortable", the Key Master retorted.  
"I know but I don't wanna risk Tina catching me in her bed tomorrow morning", Edna responded.  
"Don't you think it would be the same if you slept on the couch?", the Key Master sighed. "Do we always have to discuss sleeping arrangements when I spend the night here?"  
Suddenly, without warning, Edna literally lost ground when he lifted her up and put her over his shoulder, emitting a startled shriek from her. She twisted her head to see that he carried her to her own room, only stopping once to open the door. He took huge strides through her room and dumped her on her bed. Edna opened her mouth to protest but his glare made her shut it and remain where she was. The Key Master glared at her for another minute before leaving her room. She contemplated going after him but decided against it. Instead, she took Vivian's diary, which lay next to her and began reading after turning on the lamp on her bedside table. The next several entries her mother wrote all those years ago were of no particular interest, except maybe the part where she mentioned that Mattis went to the city for some unknown reason. The sound of the Key Master reentering her room made her look up. He was clad in his pajamas and she noticed he was rubbing his arm with a rather pained expression on his face.  
"Are you hurt?", Edna asked worriedly. The Key Master stopped rubbing immediately and put on a neutral face.  
"No."  
Now it was her turn to glare at him as he took a seat next to her.  
"You can't fool me, I've seen the look on your face", she revealed. "Tell me or I will make you tell me."  
"And what will you do if I refuse to tell you?", the Key Master countered, looking at her expectedly.  
"Don't know yet but I will think of something", Edna retorted. Then she leaned over and hesitatingly and gingerly touched the arm he was rubbing. No reaction. She put a little more pressure to her touch. She heard a soft gasp of pain coming from the Key Master and withdrew her hand.  
"Are you still trying to convince me that it's nothing?", she questioned, gazing deeply into his green eyes. He sighed in defeat.  
"Oh alright... Do you recall the moment you used the reverend's corpse to push me down the railing I sat on?", he asked. Edna could remember it well, as if it happened only the day before. Her heart had nearly stopped back then when she saw him lying among the benches with his body in a weird angle and his apparently not breathing. The mere thought of the moment still shocked her; she just could not believe she was capable of something like this.  
"Well, I broke my arm on the benches", the Key Master went on after Edna nodded. "And it never received medical care. So, it never properly healed."  
Edna could imagine why he never went to see a doctor because of his arm; it was kind of hard to stroll into a hospital if one was a convicted murderer and loony running around. The first thing anyone would do is to call the police instead of giving him the help he needed. Maybe there were some who would have helped him... Edna sighed and leaned against his uninjured arm.  
"My colleague Anika's going to attend university for medicine study soon and she knows a lot about those kinds of things", she told him. "I could ask her next time I see her."  
"You could but if I go easy on it, then it's going to be alright", he responded. Edna refrained herself from sighing again; she seriously doubted he genuinely wanted to meet new people. He might say he wanted to but she had yet to see it. Oh well, at least he would be going to town now and then, which was quite an improvement. Maybe she should just give him time. Still, this was about his health and not about socializing.  
"I will still ask her", Edna decided in a determined voice. "You can't just walk around with your arm in such a state."  
"If I had health insurance and a card, I would go to the doctor's as soon as possible", the Key Master stated while moving to the side of the bed that was closer to the wall and lying down. Edna wanted to smack her face against her palm. She completely forgot about those! Of course he would need them if he were to go the doctor's! How stupid could she be?  
"Come on, don't think too much about it", the Key Master advised. "Some rest would do you good."  
Edna decided to heed his words and lay down too. She put her mother's diary on the bedside table and turned off the light. Afterwards, she got comfortable, facing the Key Master, who had been watching her the whole time.  
"Good night", Edna bade him and closed her eyes. Before she drifted off to sleep, she heard the Key Master say "sweet dreams, Princess" to her.

* * *

The early morning hours arrived, so early that the sun was barely starting to rise from beyond the horizon. No one would get the idea to get up at this hour deliberately and yet, there was one person who was about to do this. The Key Master opened his green eyes, finding he was holding something or, rather, someone in his arms and this person was hugging him close. He realized it was Edna only a moment later. When they fell asleep a few hours ago, there had been a bit of space between them but now they were as close as two people who were fully clothed could get. The Key Master leaned back and looked at Edna's peacefully sleeping face. He watched her sleep for a short moment, feeling at ease and also finding himself not minding it if he could wake up to a sight like this every morning – it was certainly better than a scarcely furnished house with no electricity and a fireplace as the only to keep warm when the colder seasons arrived. As if feeling his gaze on her, Edna sleepily opened her eyes.  
"Hm? What'ssamatter?", she mumbled tiredly.  
"I should be going now", the Key Master told her. He moved his arm from its previous position, which was across her waist as he just realized, and wiped a strand of hair that fell in her face away. Edna closed her eyes again and he quietly got up. He saw her turning around in her sleep and grabbing Harvey, who she held close to her chest.  
"See you, Princess", he breathed and quietly left her bedroom.  
Not even an hour later, the Key Master left the apartment complex after a shower and getting dressed. Nobody was out at these early morning hours, so he leisurely sauntered down the streets towards the forest. With the deserted streets around him and with no sounds, except the twittering of the occasional bird, he felt like he was in a ghost town. It was only upon reaching the outskirts of the town when he noticed another human life; an old man wearing a gray suit and a red and green tie left a rundown building. Upon closer inspection, the Key Master realized it was the same man who harassed Edna not very long ago. He seemed to have noticed the green-skinned man, for he was heading straight towards him.  
"Ah good morning, my fine man. What brings you out here so early on a Saturday morning? No wait, don't tell me. You spent the night with your lover." He nodded knowingly. "And now you have to leave before her boyfriend comes home and catches you. Ah, I know how this is. But hey, at least you can sleep with as many women as you like."  
He let out a booming and dirty laugh. The Key Master felt disgusted and annoyed by him. He could not believe how some men only used women for their sexual desires and showed them no respect. True, he was hardly any better when he went through puberty but it stopped by the time he had his girlfriend – before that, he simply flirted with girls and sometimes did even more than that. But women who would want to sleep with every man they meet were just as bad as this old man who walked alongside the Key Master. The green-skinned man had been deprived of any sexual activity for more than a decade but now he would not do this with every woman he met. At least, he could control himself and his desires. Besides, if he had not done it for so long, he could still wait with it for more months or perhaps even years.  
"Ya know, my good man, I encountered a pretty girl all alone in the park at night time a few weeks ago", the old man went on. "From what I could see, she had dark hair and eyes. She looked quite distraught. I wanted to take her to my house and comfort her – if you know what I mean." He winked at the Key Master. "Couldn't, thanks to the meddling of some guy. Oooh, but if I find her again. I will take her to me and she will never want another man ever again."  
The Key Master's blood boiled like a pot of water on a stove. He knew who the man was talking about. Who did that man think he was? It was Edna's own business who she wanted to be with and, frankly, the Key Master doubted she would want to be such a disgusting man. Still, that guy did not shut up; he kept talking and talking:  
"But she was not the only pretty girl I saw. There are a lot of girls around here, all waiting for them to take me. They just don't know it yet."  
Did that guy have an off button? Each word coming out of his mouth made the Key Master even madder. If he did not leave soon, an accident might be happening within the next ten minutes. However, the old man either seemed not to notice the Key Master's annoyance or he chose to ignore it. Anyway, the older man laughed boisterously and put an arm around the younger guy, much to the latter's chagrin.  
"Maybe I could even convince 'em to please you. You look like you could use some action", the old guy commented. The Key Master's fingers started to tingle and twitch; the urge to kill that man was steadily rising.  
"Remove your arm or I will remove your arm from your body", the green man threatened in a forced calm. The old geezer laughed, as if he had been told a joke.  
"Ah, you're the most hilarious guy I've ever met. One of my girls will surely please you. How about the dark haired beauty from the park? Or any other girl? I let you choose. You can even have two or more at the same time."  
That was it! The Key Master had enough! In one swift movement, he grabbed the old guy's tie and tightened it, cutting off his air supply. All this talk as if he spoke of tools! It annoyed the Key Master and made his blood boil. One of the females the old geezer wanted to use was his friend! And how did he dare to offer him some of them for pleasure like they were something like sex toys? Even he, the Key Master, never stooped that low. As long as he had no reason or urge to do someone in, he respected other human beings. But this old guy? Oh no, he did not deserve any respect. The Key Master bared his teeth as he pulled the tie even tighter; his victim scratched his hands and arm in an attempt for struggle but it was in vain. All those degrading things that left his mouth only made the Key Master more furious. He felt no pain, only rage and satisfaction when he saw the man's face turning blue. The old guy's eyes lost the life residing behind them and they rolled back. The old man's arms fell limply to his side. He was no more...  
Coming back to his senses, the Key Master stared at his victim. His heart pounded against his chest as if he ran a marathon. Did he really just kill a man? How could this happen? He had not committed any murders for years; it made no sense to him... The Key Master looked around to see if he had any eye witnesses. Fortunately, the streets were still deserted. But even if he had spotted somebody, what would he have done? He did not know but he knew the corpse had to disappear. His eyes fell on a nearby alleyway. Yes, this should do it. Still holding the victim by the tie, the Key Master dragged the body to the alley. It was littered with banana peels, rotten food and paper wrappings. One large dumpster took up most of the space. He hid the body next to it, so that it would not be seen from the streets but when one was deep in the alleyway. If he was lucky, the corpse would not be found until he was gone. However, he should not count on his good fortune. The Key Master examined the corpse and took the tie away. It would have his fingerprints, so he decided to take it with him and destroy, perhaps burn, it. On his way out of the alley and back to his hideout, he pondered whether or not he should tell Edna about his relapse. Would she be mad? Well, he could not blame her if she was; he would be too. Nevertheless, she deserved to learn the truth from him...

* * *

Hours passed since the Key Master's departure. It was around midday now. Edna slept peacefully in her bed, not a care in the world. Six weeks of freedom, of doing what she wanted to do and spending time with her best friends. No more school. She did not have to endure Heike anymore. She was free at last. Of course, some would see it as a waste of time to sleep through half of the day but Edna's work shift the previous night was so stressful she had to work overtime. It had been past midnight by the time she was back home. Besides, Edna currently dreamed she was in a setting of a role-play game with her as the main characters, her friends as either companions or helpful citizens and Doctor Marcel and his minions as the evil faction. It was a fun dream, her primary weapon was a polo mallet and she was able to summon different versions of Harvey, each with their own unique power. Her favorite was probably dragon Harvey, who had the ability to fly and burn her enemies to death. Maybe she should write all down some day, although she doubted it would be published as book and be as successful as _Harry Potter_ or _Twilight_ , though she still could not explain how the latter became so popular.  
Edna awoke from her sleep upon sniffing the enticing smell of roast chicken. Her grumbling stomach sounded like the roar of a ferocious beast. She had not eaten anything since she came back home after school ended, except for a little sandwich she managed to stuff in shortly before work. Oh, and the popsicle when she visited Bianca and some cookies. Nothing satiable, however. She could eat a horse but chicken would do too. With one good yawn, Edna sat up and stretched herself, then she got up and left her room for the kitchen, where she found Tina, who was already back, in the middle of making lunch.  
"Smells delicious", Edna commented while leaning against the doorframe.  
"Well, it's chicken! How else did you expect it to smell?", Tina retorted with a cheeky grin while checking the potatoes. "Hm, five to ten more minutes, then we can eat. You could set the table."  
Edna nodded and went to the cupboard, where she took two plates from. She carried these to the living room and put them on the table before returning to the kitchen for the cutlery and napkins. After having set the table, she decided to zap through the television channel to pass time. Perhaps she could find something interesting. It was not long until she found something – documentary about the Roman Empire. Edna decided to watch it since it was unlikely she would find anything that would not cause her to lose brain cells or be bored to death. Maybe she should just go out after lunch and enjoy the warm weather. After all, the glorious sunshine practically screamed for her to go outside. She remembered how she used to spend every single day outside in summer, unless she was grounded for teasing Alfred again. She had loved to go swimming in the local lake or play on the playground, as well as riding with her bicycle through the forest. However, her favorite passing of time was to play "Hunt The Frog". Edna chuckled when she thought of how much Alfred feared their lawnmower. Oh, how she missed him. Even though she found him annoying, he was an okay guy and he really did not deserve to die. Once again, Edna found herself wishing she could communicate with the dead and talk to Alfred and Mattis and apologize to them. Not wanting to depress herself again, she tried to think of something positive, like the dream she had. But her thoughts strayed to the man she had a crush on and the fact that they slept together in one bed. She had hazy recollections of waking up in the very early morning hours and of his saying good bye for now.  
The scent of roast chicken intensified when Tina carried a big plate of it into the living room. While she was putting the dead poultry on the table, Edna walked to the kitchen to get the potatoes. Tina followed her a second later for the sauce. Once everything was on the table and once they were seated, they started eating.

"So, what'cha gonna do today, Edna?"  
It was just after lunch. The women were busy cleaning the used dishes and cutleries.  
"I'm going to meet a couple of old school friends later. You could come along if you want to", the blond woman offered while now scrubbing one of the used pots. Edna considered for a moment. Normally, she would decline meeting Tina's old friends, though she could not say why, but perhaps she should change it. After all, she had convinced the Key Master to go to town now and then and if he could do something he avoided doing, she could too. It would also be nice to meet new people and make new friends.  
"Hm, sure. I don't see why not", she eventually replied and put the dry plate into the cupboard. Tina gaped at her:  
"Really!? You never said yes before."  
"If you wanted me to say no, you can just say so."  
"No, it's not that. I'm just pleasantly surprised."  
Tina finished cleaning the pot and began doing the same to the other.  
"Sure, just don't forget it, okay?"  
"And you think of reminding me."  
Edna nodded once in agreement before putting the now dry pot in the cupboard. At the moment, she had nothing to do – not until the second pot was clean –and so, she decided to enjoy the view out of the window. If only the weather would be like this every day, she would spend every minute of her free time outdoors. In her childhood, she had liked days like these the most, as much as, if not even more so than, teasing Alfred. They used to have tours on their bicycles whenever they liked; Mattis would prepare a giant pot of noodle soup before their tour began. He was not the best cook when he made anything with noodles but it did not prevent him from trying. Edna found herself wishing she had a bicycle just so she could relive those times at least once more. But she never had enough money left since she deemed it was more important to help the Key Master out. However, the most important items he needed, like new clothes or new furniture, he got them already. The only things he needed regularly were food and drinks and, of course, something to occupy his time with. Perhaps Edna would be able to save for a bicycle sooner or later.  
"Say, where are we going to meet your old friends anyway?", she asked when she was finally able to dry off the last pot.  
"At an ice cream parlor", Tina replied while drying her hands off. She scrutinized her hands critically. "I look like I have the hands of a granny..."  
"Ice cream parlor?", Edna repeated. "Not the _Ice Cream Spectrum_?"  
She really did not like that parlor ever since she visited with Sebastian. Sure, the cold sweetness was delicious but she could ever bring herself to enter that place again, even if she was being paid for it. Only if _Ice Cream Spectrum_ would get a new interior designer, she would consider going there again.  
"No, of course not! The other one – _Tropical Ice Cream_ ", Tina responded. "We meet at three, so we have less than two hours left of doing what we want to do."  
Well, if there was still some time, maybe she could start writing down her dream. Perhaps she could draw up a comic, like she did with _The Adventures of Amazonian Space Girl_ in her childhood. If she thought about it, she could also revive her old comic series, too. There were a lot of creative things she could do and let her friends read and review them. She knew they would be honest with her and would also make suggestions to help her improve. But first, the writing down of her dream. So, Edna went to her room, turned on her laptop and opened a new text document. She began writing...


	14. The Hearing And A Revelation

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **The Hearing And A Revelation**

The words flowed from Edna's fingers like a river of letters and punctuation marks. It was so easy for her to write it all down, as if those words had been waiting for years to be written down. The story, so far, was not perfect but she was in no hurry to finish it or publish it. She had plenty of time to refine it and draw illustrations. Speaking of drawing, her picture for Art class was not quite finished yet. She did have all of summer but her friendship with Bianca, who always did her homework and projects as soon as possible, taught her not to wait until the last moment to do these kinds of things. Edna looked at the clock in the corner of her laptop screen, noticing it was almost time to meet Tina's old friends. In this case, the following day was another day, too. She saved and closed her text file and turned off her laptop.  
"Come on, Harv", Edna said while taking her blue lagomorph into her arms. "Time to meet Tina's friends."  
"Yippie! And cause mayhem!", he exclaimed excitedly. Edna opted not to say anything about this. She knew most people were not exactly fond of the idea of wreaking havoc, at least not the destructive kind Harvey liked so much. Thus, she simply smiled and patted his head and left her room, Tina left her own room at the same time and both girls met in the living room.  
"Ready to go?", she asked, to which Edna nodded in affirmation. "Good."  
Both females and the rabbit left the apartment together and got in Tina's car. The ice cream parlor, where they were supposed to meet the older girl's friends, was actually in the next town. So, it was easier and faster and more reliable to drive with the car than going by bus. The short drive began...

* * *

Lilli was at home, tending to her flowers with a merry, little tune on her lips. The little blond girl was excited. A few minutes ago, she was told by her adoptive parents that they would be taking the trailer on a trip due north and rest at camping sites until they would reach Denmark in two weeks and stay there for two weeks. Lilli was ecstatic; she had never been abroad before. All her life, she lived in the little village with an asylum and a convent school before living in the latter after losing her family. She got around more with her new family but always only within Germany's borders.  
Lilli went inside the house to freshen up after she was done tending to her flowers. Not long afterwards, she returned to the garden with her embroidery set and started stitching something that could be a tiger... or a teddy in pajamas. It did not really matter, she could stitch whatever she wanted and if she wanted to improve her skills with needle and stitch, she would need to keep practicing. At least she had improved over the years – back in the convent school, it might as well have been a shapeless, nondescript something but no tiger or teddy. Lilli remembered how Mother Superior, while she was still being her strict self, kept telling her she had no talent and forbade to stitch anything aside from crosses and lines. If anyone had little to no talent in something, Mother Superior would prohibit the students to continue acting out in that particular field and if anyone contradicted her, they would be severely punished. There was one time, shortly after Lilli came to the convent school, when a boy argued that one could only get better if they practiced again and again. He was forced to clear the snow with a spoon. It was not long after the incident that he left the place. Lilli did not know where to but she was sure he was at a better place now. But if she were to see him again, she was not sure if she would recognize him – too much time had passed. And who knew what he would be doing at present time? Perhaps he was still with the church. Or he turned his back to the church. Lilli more or less did the latter as she was not religious. She was not even sure if she had ever been religious in the first place. The only reason she was enrolled to a convent school was because her grandmother forced her mother to before they both died – the former of lung cancer, the latter in a fire. Lilli was actually there when her mother died in a fire and yet, she was not afraid of it, unlike other people, who had traumatic experiences with flames. In fact, it almost fascinated her as much as embroidering and she found the heat and light to be useful. However, she would not let it close to her precious flowers, unless she wanted them to be burned into ashes and that would only happen over her dead body! But she did not want to think about the past and fire. She redirected her thoughts towards the upcoming vacation, once again singing a cheery tune.

* * *

Two days had passed since Edna met Tina's friends. They were kind to her and treated her like she had always been one of them, though they were all a little too serious and not as crazy and fun-loving as Edna's own friends. One even mocked her for talking with her stuffed rabbit. Luckily, Tina defended her and her other friends did not mock Edna. One, however, voiced her opinion that it was weird but did not make fun of the purple haired girl at all. They spent all day long going through town and shop – most of Tina's friends were girls who just loved shopping. Edna bought a leather jacket for herself before all the other girls in their group forced her to buy a complete outfit for the jacket. They all watched too many fashion shows... Nevertheless, it was quite an amazing outfit, which would surely leave the Key Master's jaw on the floor. At least she hoped she would get that kind of reaction from him. If not, she had to think of something else and try another strategy. Edna wanted to let him know what she felt for him without saying it out loud. She quietly scoffed at herself and shook her head when she realized how ridiculous her thoughts were. A few years ago, she would have never bothered to look attractive for the opposite sex. But then again, a tiny little voice inside her head piped up, you were too busy evading Doctor Marcel to really think about men a few years ago. Edna had to admit, the voice had a point. And it was not just evading that grumpy old man but also the ten years wasted in a padded cell. The Key Master was the first man she had feelings for since she started living a relatively normal life. Hard to believe, considering the day she first met him and yet, even then, she had felt a tiniest bit of attraction towards him... that disappeared when she saw a corpse dangling from the church bell and the Key Master sitting on a railing next to it. That image destroyed any positive thoughts and feelings she had towards him. But over the last few weeks, she regained those to the point of even developing a crush on him. Edna was still amazed that it happened; she had always been so content being single. But those are the kinds of things in life one could not control.  
Edna heard the front door open and close and, a moment later, Tina appeared in the living room with a loaf of bread and the newspaper. Exchanging words of greetings, she put the latter object down on the dining table before going to the kitchen with the loaf of bread. Edna took the newspaper and skimmed through the reports of the current happenings. Celebrity couples breaking up, politicians making senseless decisions no one could fathom, petty crimes and all the other usual stuff were printed in those pages. Edna, who read some of the reports, was about to fold the newspaper and put it back on the table when she noticed one small article about something that happened in this town. She read it, learning a corpse of an older man had been found in an alleyway by a woman, who was taking out the trash. No more details were known and the police investigated whether the man was murdered or not. This article worried Edna, who put the newspaper back on the dining table, for some reason. Perhaps it was the fact that the dead man was found in her current hometown but she had a feeling there was more to this. Edna shook her head. It was ludicrous; the identity of the man was not given in the article, so she knew nothing about him. There was no real reason for her to be that concerned about it – only when it would turn out that she was acquainted with the man or if this was the beginning of a mass murder. She really hoped it was neither.  
"Anything interesting?", Tina, who just returned from the kitchen, asked. She carried a plate with four slices of bread, two of them were with butter and sausage, the other two with Nutella.  
"A corpse has been found in this town", Edna stated. "But other than that, just the usual stuff."  
"A corpse?", Tina repeated. "And they're not sure if it was murder or something?"  
"Read for yourself", Edna replied, pointing at the newspaper. Her housemate took a seat and placed her plate next to the newspaper. She began looking for the article while eating her breakfast. Edna, meanwhile, decided to get her sketch-pad, a pencil and eraser as well as Harvey from her room. When she got back, she noticed that Tina seemed to have found the article she told her about since the blonde's lips silently formed the words and she held one slice that got a bite out of aloft.  
"I'm going out", Edna announced while putting on her shoes.  
"Alright, be careful out there", Tina responded, waving her slice around. "See you when you get back."

Edna's destination was the local park, where she was going to meet the Key Master later. For now, she would simply spend her time drawing illustrations for her story and since it was another beautiful day, she decided to do this outdoors. She had taken a seat right underneath the same tree she sat at during her final Art lesson two weeks ago. She found it to be a nice spot for relaxation and the view was pretty, too. Humming to herself, she opened her sketch-pad and began sketching the characters for her story. The first character was the heroine and her loyal, lagomorph sidekick. Edna had decided that the main character's sidekick would usually appear as a rabbit that could shape shift into different creatures when the need arose. It was different than how it was in her dream but it was just the inspiration to her story. Not even she knew how it would all come together. But she wanted it to be a magnificent story, so she would work hard on it whenever she found the time to. Thankfully, she had a lot of it for six weeks. Her rough sketch of the heroine was finished. It looked a lot like herself; no surprise there, seeing that every character in her dream was played by herself and people she knew. Edna would be working on the character design in time, there was no need to hurry or rush. It was not like she had a deadline.  
After spending two hours of sketching, Edna decided to take a break, especially because her hand was hurting and she was also thirsty. Gathering her things together, she headed for the nearest store to buy a cherry juice. She was just about to leave the park when she saw a familiar platinum blond girl with her dog in the distance. So much for not seeing her, Edna thought while rolling her eyes. Fortunately, Heike did not seem to have noticed her, although it was hard to judge since she always made a face as if she was smelling dung. Wanting to avoid talking to Heike and thus risk losing a couple of brain cells, Edna quickly went down the path towards the exit of the park. She was almost there when she collided with Gabrielle and both fell on their behinds.  
"Watch where you're going", she groaned grumpily while getting up.  
"Sorry", Edna apologized, also getting up. "On your way to meet Heike?"  
"Yes, I am. And she'll be mad if she has to wait for me", Gabrielle replied, dusting herself off.  
"Why are you even always with her? Don't you think there are other, better people to be friends with?", Edna inquired, putting emphasis on the word 'better'.  
"Well, who would want to be my friend? No one. Heike told me that more often than not", Gabrielle whispered the last part, looking away from Edna with a frown on her face. Edna never got along with her but at this moment, she could not help but feel sympathy towards her. It was the first time that the purple haired woman realized how bad Heike's influence was on Gabrielle. What kind of person would tell someone no one would want to be their friend? To Edna, it seemed that Heike needed to make others feel horrible to feel good. The dislike she felt towards her increased by the seconds to the point of hatred.  
"I'm sure you'd be able to find other friends if you just try", Edna tried to convince Gabrielle.  
"Perhaps", she mumbled and sighed. "I should go..."  
Gabrielle went on her way with Edna looking worriedly after her. She wished she could do something to help her. When she turned around again, she found herself face to face with the Key Master. Gasping in surprise, Edna jumped a step backwards.  
"How long have you been standing there? You nearly gave me a heart attack!", Edna exclaimed, drawing a few strange looks towards her.  
"Me too! If I had a heart, that is", Harvey commented. The Key Master put his hand on Edna's back and steered her out of the park.  
"Uh, where are we going?", Edna questioned, alternatively glancing at her companion and at what was in front of her. However, she received no answer and was instead pushed towards an unknown location. It was only after she protested that she can easily walk on her own did he stop shoving her. Now they were walking next to each other, with her being a step behind the Key Master. Edna was puzzled. Where was he taking her? He never acted like this before; she was not even sure if she should still accompany him or if she ought to run away.  
"I say run away", Harvey chimed in but Edna just patted his head to calm him down.  
"Where are we going?", she repeated her question.  
"You'll see."  
At least he said something, a disgruntled Edna thought to herself. She thought they were supposed to meet in the park but the Key Master's strange behavior made her wonder if something happened. As they went on, she finally began to register and recognize their surroundings. It was a part of town Edna rarely ventured to since it was a little too far from her home and she did not like taking the bus. A moment after she realized where they were, they reached the market place, which was devoid of any stands.  
"Uh, what are we doing here?", she questioned, glancing around. There were only some people around, aside from them, and a few pigeons.  
"I thought we could spend our time in another location", the Key Master responded. "Of course, we could always return to the park."  
"No", Edna shook her head. "It's just you've been behaving oddly the whole time."  
Although she did not mention it, she noticed he had been behaving weirdly since he left her apartment early Saturday morning. She often caught him looking uncertainly at her, as if he was about to say something only to keep quiet about what was bothering him. The Key Master never behaved like this before; he was usually so confident that he could convince others to do work for him. Edna should know, she made a copy of the asylum's master key under his instructions after all. In fact, she did most of the dirty work for their breakout. Next time something similar to this would happen, she would insist that he would not let her do all the work.  
Edna sat on the edge of a well, placing her possessions to her left. The Key Master, meanwhile, took a seat on the other side of her. He seemed to be calm, at ease, but Edna noticed there was something different about him. His eyes would often dart around before setting on her and then he would open his mouth only to close it again. This went on for several times. Edna did not know what to think; she only felt uneasy at the sight of this man being so unsure. His nervousness might have been kind of cute if he was about to confess his feelings but she had a hunch this was not the case. Something told her he was like this because of something negative that happened. Did he perhaps know something, anything about the murder that took place just recently? Had he seen something? If he did, then he would probably have valuable information for the police. Edna could not blame him for being nervous in this case. There was a chance he would be recognized as a psychotic murderer by the police. Then again, he had been walking around town for quite some time now and no one recognized him yet. Still, there was no point in taking any unnecessary risks. Besides, if the police were competent enough, they would solve this case sooner or later. Nevertheless, Edna wanted to know what was going on with the Key Master and she would never know if she just kept silently speculating. Thus, she took a deep breath and began to speak.

* * *

"Key Master?"  
The pale, green-skinned man looked to his left to see his female companion eyeing him with a mix of worry and curiosity in her eyes.  
"Is something troubling you? You seem like you have something on your mind..."  
The Key Master wanted to tell her about the murder he committed. He wanted to tell her why he did this and how he felt about this. He wanted to confess but instead, he said:  
"No, everything's fine."  
So much for telling her about this, he chastised himself in his mind. Edna stared at him for a while longer, not bothering to hide the skeptics she was most likely feeling at this moment. The Key Master could not even explain to himself why he lied to her; he had no trouble confronting her with the truth when he killed the reverend. But this time? It was like he wanted to protect her from this, like he wanted to fight this battle alone. But it was no battle. It was just senseless murder of an innocent, albeit chauvinistic, man for a rather ludicrous reason. For a moment, he did not know whether months or even years had passed since he last killed someone before past Saturday. When was the last time he killed a person? He could not recall for he had lost his sense of time a long time ago. Only the changing of seasons and the annual Christmas decoration as well as the occasional peek at the newspapers told the date. Oh yes, now he remembered; it was years ago.  
"If you say so...", Edna interrupted his musings. "But if there really is something, you can tell me. I won't bite."  
Still, the Key Master said nothing. He wanted to but could not bring himself to. He could already see the worry and kindness in her face turning into disappointment and anger, perhaps even rage. No, he did not want her to feel any negative emotions – the young woman he had grown to like over the last few weeks. He preferred seeing her in a good mood with her only worries being what she should wear for the day or where she placed the remote. But he also knew he could not keep things secret from her forever. Sooner or later, she would find out.  
"Thanks, Princess. I will keep that in mind", the Key Master responded. "And my door's always open for you if you find yourself in any kind of predicament."  
They spent the rest of the day strolling around and eating ice cream until evening approached. That was when Edna said good bye for now and left for home. He, too, decided to return to the place he could currently call his home.

* * *

The day of the hearing arrived. Edna had almost forgotten all about it until Tina mentioned it the evening before. Since then, she had been feeling nervous to the point of being unable to sleep. She did not know what to expect from the hearing. It was the first time she had to go to one, unless one counts the time she had to give evidence in regards to Doctor Marcel a few years ago. Not that it really helped, seeing that he was still out and about and most likely making his patients' lives a living hell. Why could not people like him be locked up?  
Edna walked the empty streets in the earliest hours of the day. Not even the sun was up yet but she could not sleep, try as she might. Perhaps a short walk would do her good and get her mind off things. It was ridiculous. Why should she feel nervous about this? Even before the question was completely formed in her mind, she had an answer already. What she did could be more or less considered as aggravated assault, perhaps even attempted murder. There had been a risk of Heike drowning, after all. Maybe she was nervous because she did not know what to expect when the hearing was over.  
"Edna?", she heard someone call her from nearby. The young woman looked around and found the Key Master approaching her.  
"What are you doing out here so early in the morning?", he inquired.  
"Couldn't sleep and I thought a walk would do me good", Edna replied. "But what about you?"  
"Same with me, I can't sleep either", he answered. "I woke up because I was thirsty and since then, I had trouble going back to sleep. I assume it's something similar in your case?"  
"No, it's not", Edna shook her head and went on to explain what had been troubling her. The Key Master was an excellent listener; never did he once interrupt her. The more she told him, the more sympathy he showed on his face. By the time she was finished, he had put his arms around her and simply held her. Edna appreciated his effort of comforting her, even if it did not work entirely. It was not like it did not help at all – it helped a lot actually – but she did not stop thinking about what was going to transpire in a few hours.  
"I'll be there for you, hiding in a bush outside the police station", the Key Master whispered. Edna chuckled. "You won't be alone."  
Edna leaned back far enough to look at the man's face and beamed at him. She was so happy that he became one of her closest friends and that he was not the insane man she met all those years ago anymore. Maybe things would have taken a completely different direction if he had been the way he was now back then. But this was perhaps only meant as a "what if" situation that might have an answer in a parallel universe, just like how there was a universe of every possibility of choices people made in their lives. Even as she thought about those things, she was nevertheless glad about the present, despite her nervousness about what would be going on later that day.  
"I don't know what I would do without you as a friend", she said, not being able to wipe the smile off of her face. "You're simply the best."  
"While I appreciate your compliment, I thought you had other friends as well?", the Key Master retorted. "Surely you would still know what to do if I weren't there."  
"Yeah, right", Edna agreed, her smile having turned into a grin. This was a moment where she could have confessed that there was more than friendship she felt towards him. But, alas, as it was usual with the species known as Homo sapiens, communication was not their strongest suit and therefore, things that should be said were left unsaid. Edna asked herself if she would ever be able to admit her feelings out loud. Gently, she disengaged herself from the Key Master.  
"Well, I should better get home. I see you later."  
She heard him saying good bye to her as she made her way back to her apartment. The walk back did not take long and within minutes, she was back in her room, wearing her pajamas again. Tina was still fast asleep and thus had not noticed that Edna had been gone. The purple haired woman attempted to sleep but her thoughts kept drifting back to her hearing in several hours. She tossed and turned around in her bed, Harvey fell off once or twice. She thought about what could or would happen after the hearing. Her worst fear was that she would have to go to an asylum and the nearest one happened to be the one she fled from all those years ago. She did not want it to happen; the thought of leaving her friends behind ached her. She knew what would happen to her if she was sent back to the mental institution and she did not like it one bit. While she kind of liked Alfred, she did not want to be turned into a female version of him.  
"Damn, I just can't sleep", Edna muttered after Harvey fell once again off the bed. She picked him up and also took Vivian's diary. Perhaps reading would do her some good.

It was hours later when Edna, accompanied by Tina, entered the local police station. She had read her mother's diary until Tina knocked at her bedroom door and told it her it was time to get up. Several policemen were running around and exchanging information or receiving instructions. From what Edna could hear, it was about the corpse that had been found. However, this was of no concern for her. She had another thing to worry about at the moment. After having asked a policeman for directions, Edna and Tina found themselves in front of one of the office doors. Taking one deep breath to calm her nerves, the former knocked. A female voice from the other side responded with a permission to enter a second later. Wishing to get this over with, Edna pushed the door handle down and she and her friend entered the office. The red curtains were closed, giving the whole room a red tint that reminded Edna of the sunset. A single potted plant stood in one corner, on one file cabinet was a plush figure of Bugs Bunny leaning against the wall. The desk was covered with files, pens and a computer as well as a small plush figure of Sid from the _Ice Age_ movies. The police officer, who permitted them to enter her office, sat behind her desk, looking at them with a kind expression.  
"Ah, good morning, Miss Konrad", she greeted Edna in a friendly tone. Then she looked at Tina, repeating the two words "good morning". While both girls took a seat, Edna pondered how the policewoman knew she was the one invited to the hearing and not Tina. As far as she knew, none of them had to deal with the local police before.  
"I'm Officer Schmitz. You look a lot like your mother", the policewoman remarked before clearing her throat and continuing in a professional voice: "Now then, as you know, you've been reported by Miss Heike Hinterwaldt for aggravated assault against her. You have the right to remain silent; everything you say can be used against you."  
"Um, doesn't she also have the right to call a lawyer?", Tina questioned, tilting her head in curiosity. Officer Schmitz stared at her, obviously displeased by the interruption, and gave a response:  
"Yes, she has." She turned back towards Edna: "You can commence making your statements, Miss Konrad."  
Edna took one deep breath and began telling what happened that day:  
"Well, I was sitting at the pond, minding my own business and wondering what the ducks could be quacking about. Heike, Daniel and Gabrielle appeared after a few minutes and they mocked me because I had my rag doll rabbit with me. Then Heike took my rabbit away and she and the others kept mocking me. However, when she insulted and maligned my parents, I just lost it. I was already mad about the insults towards me but when she began to verbally attack my parents, I felt like a volcano and all my bottled up rage broke out."  
"So, you acted because of your emotions, is that correct?", the officer interrupted.  
"Correct", Edna confirmed.  
"Did something like this happen often? I mean you doing something because your emotions overtook you?", Officer Schmitz inquired. Edna stared forlornly at her. She could think of one circumstance where she could give an affirmative answer to the officer's question. She could see the event happening in her inner eye as clearly as a clean window. Slowly, Edna raised her head and gave a nod in confirmation.  
"Only once before this incident."  
"I see. Were there other people around that day? People who saw what happened?", Officer Schmitz asked. Edna thought back to the day but unfortunately, she had not paid attention if there were any more witnesses. Only Harvey could testify her statements. She had been too busy trying to get her oldest friend back that she did not bother to look if anyone was watching. The only ones who saw everything were Daniel and Gabrielle. Daniel would surely twist the truth to make it seem that Edna pushed Heike into the pond without any provocation. A few weeks ago, she would have thought the same in regards to Gabrielle but since learning more about her, she was not so sure anymore. Perhaps she would be telling the truth, unless Heike would force her to lie. Edna hoped it was the former; she would have someone backing her up then. Still, she could not really count on Gabrielle and was therefore ready to expect the worst.  
"If I may interrupt, Officer", Tina chimed in, "I've seen Heike a couple of times and I've seen her treatment of Edna. What my friend told you about her and what she did sounds like something she would do."  
"Would Miss Hinterwaldt even tell a lie to discredit you, Miss Konrad?", Officer Schmitz questioned.  
"I wouldn't put it past her", Edna responded. She watched the officer opening a file and taking out two sheets of paper, which she studied.  
"I already questioned her and the lad who was with her. Both told me something completely different. However, I have yet to question the lass who saw what happened that day", Officer Schmitz stated after a couple of minutes. "But I think I've heard enough. I will let you know if I need you for further questioning, miss. You may go now."  
Edna heard Tina getting up. She, however, remained seated, gazing curiously at the policewoman.  
"Did you know my mother? You mentioned earlier I look a lot like her...", she asked. Officer Schmitz, who had been busily typing into her computer, glanced at Edna and ceased what she had been doing. She leaned back with her eyes closed and let out a sad sigh.  
"Yes, I knew Vivian. We were friends... It's really horrible what happened to her..."  
Officer Schmitz slowly and forlornly shook her head. A small, almost inaudible sniff came from her. Edna opened her mouth again, about to ask what happened but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She followed the hand and arm up to its owner and found Tina looking at her with a frown and silently shaking her head. Edna looked back at the policewoman, whose shoulders were sagged and whose head hung low. If she could see her eyes, she was sure they would be filled with tears. Making the resolution to continue reading her mother's diary and start reading her father's to learn what happened, she got up too.  
"Good bye, Officer Schmitz."  
"Bye."  
Edna and Tina left the office and made their way through the hallway, avoiding policemen who had their noses stuck in case files or who were animatedly talking with their colleagues. It was amazing how many officers were walking back and forth like it was the main street at rush hour or a supermarket when the unemployed or elderly had gotten their money. Edna could barely recall both times she was at the police station in her old hometown, where it was almost devoid of any officers. There was usually only one officer there; two or more would be a miracle. She figured it had something to do with her old home being a tiny village.  
"How do you feel?", Tina asked, interrupting Edna's train of thought.  
"Actually, better and a lot more at ease now", the purple haired woman replied. It was true; before she had her hearing, she felt like her heart would burst from pounding rapidly and legs had felt like they were made of metal. Now, her heart was bumping at normal speed and her legs felt like they had lost weight and were thus a lot lighter. She felt like she could run a mile with those light feet.  
"I'm going to chat my cousin when we get back home", Tina mentioned as they left the police station and headed for her car. "And what are you going to do?"  
"Hm, I think I'm just gonna walk around town", Edna replied with a shrug. While she was talking, she noticed something moving in the shadows. Narrowing her eyes at the specific spot, she soon realized it was the Key Master. Happy to see that he actually did what he said he would do, she flashed him a radiant smile. Then she turned back to Tina:  
"But you can send Nicole my regards."  
"Will do", Tina smiled while opening the car doors. She got into the driver's seat and Edna got into the passenger's seat.

* * *

The Key Master still had some money he had gotten from Edna left and he planned to use it now. A bus stop was nearby and the next bus was about to arrive in a few short minutes. He waited for the public transportation to arrive, hoping Edna would not have left her apartment yet by the time he arrived. Otherwise, he might as well search the town for her just so he could spend time with her. He had not heard a single thing of what Edna and the police officer had been saying during her hearing. In fact, he did not even know in which room she had her hearing. Nonetheless, he hoped everything went well.  
The bus arrived and the Key Master was the only person to climb in while a handful climbed out. He told the bus driver his destination and paid accordingly. Then he took an empty seat in the back, staring out of the window while the bus drove through town, halting at each stop to let the passengers out and in. Soon, his stop came up; he got up and walked to the exit when the vehicle started to slow down. Three other people also wanted to get out of the public transportation at this stop. Once the Key Master, as well as the other three, had gotten out, they went their own ways. He headed for Edna's home, seeing her leaving the building the moment he arrived.  
"Oh", she chuckled. "What a coincidence. I was hoping to meet you."  
The Key Master noticed she had changed her clothes. Earlier, she wore a lavender blouse and light blue jeans and high heels but now she had replaced it with a dark green summer dress that had a purple belt around the waist. She still wore heels but they were not as high as the other pair. In one hand, she held Harvey by his ears and in the other, she had a picnic basket.  
"I thought we could have a little picnic", Edna explained. "If you're hungry, that is."  
"Well, I only had a sandwich today, so I don't see why not", the Key Master responded. "Where do you plan to have this picnic?"  
"How about at your place?", the young woman suggested. He thought of a short moment before offering his arm with a big grin.  
"May I escort you, my fair lady?", he asked jokingly. Edna chortled and linked her arm in his.  
"How kind of you to let me come", she said, pronouncing each word with care. Both of them chuckled at the ridiculousness of the situation. He had not intended to fool around but he had not been able to stop himself from doing so and actually, he was kind of glad he did. It lightened the mood, though it was already light. Arm in arm, the green-skinned man and the purple haired woman walked through town to the outskirts and into the woods.  
Soon, they arrived at the wide open field with the single hill and the single house at the foot of the hill. They decided to walk up the hill and have the picnic beneath the tree that stood atop it. Edna unhooked her arm from the Key Master and ran up, with him chasing after her. She reached the top first and cheered him on, laughing merrily.  
"You're certainly in a better mood than this morning", the Key Master remarked. Edna simply grinned.  
"Well, there's nothing occupying my mind anymore", she said good-naturedly while putting her basket and Harvey down. She took a blanket with a red and white checker board design out of her basket and, with the Key Master's help, spread it out. He placed the basket on the blanket and sat down. He watched her leaning Harvey against the basket before sitting down herself. Then she took out several sandwiches, a cake and a knife, fruits, two thermos and two bottles of cherry juice.  
"I hope that's enough", Edna said with a sheepish grin.  
"That's more than enough", the Key Master retorted, staring open mouthed at the food. Even before he was locked in solitary cell, he had never been much of an eater. Usually, he only ate small portions, which was probably why he was so thin. Well, at least he had gained some weight, though he was still skinny. No surprise there, he lacked a proper mal for more than a decade and only started eating regularly a few weeks ago. No one could gain weight and therefore stop looking anorexic in such a short amount of time. That would be a miracle... or a sign of unhealthy nourishment. He took a sandwich, one with cucumbers, tomatoes and bacon, and started eating. Edna was already munching a turkey sandwich while she enjoyed the view. Suddenly, the Key Master noticed, she frowned at Harvey and whispered in a low voice, probably in hopes he would not hear her:  
"Don't be ridiculous, Harv. He was not checking me out."  
The Key Master pretended not to be listening to the conversation, though he could hear every single word Edna was saying but not what her rag doll rabbit was saying. Still, from what he could understand, Harvey accused someone of checking Edna out. Somehow, he had a feeling the blue lagomorph meant him, the Key Master. Why he thought that, he did not know. Perhaps he really did check her out, without realizing it.  
"Think what you want, Harvey", Edna hissed and went back to eating her turkey sandwich. She looked a little frustrated. The Key Master decided to start up a conversation:  
"How did your hearing go?"  
"Not bad, actually. I told the officer everything I know, so you could say I have a clear conscience", she replied and finished her sandwich. Then she took out a cup and opened a bottle while adding: "Amazingly enough, she knew my mother. I mean, could you imagine going to the police and meeting an officer who just happened to know your deceased parents? I could hardly believe it!"  
"You don't know much about your mother, do you?", the Key Master asked, suddenly feeling sympathy for her. She had told him of the diary and of what she read but so far, those were just things from long before Edna was born. He could relate to her as he had little to no memories of his parents either. Like Edna, he found himself waking up in a padded cell with no memories of his past. Some of the memories had returned over the years but of his family, it was little to none.  
"No... The only things I know about my mother are the things I read in her diary", Edna replied and took something out of the basket. It was a book with a lavender blue binding and dark purple and midnight blue spiral patterns. He figured it was the diary his female companion mentioned a minute ago.  
"Can you tell me some more of the things you learned about her?", the Key Master requested, even though she had already done so some time ago. Edna nodded and moved closer to him, leaning against him.  
"My mother was a kind woman, who loved children and my father. She loved spending time with her favorite people, just like I do, and she always wanted others to be happy. She was the kind of person you can't help but liking."  
Edna said this all in a warm and fond voice. The Key Master noticed how she caressed the diary's binding softly as if it would break if it were not touched lightly.  
"Do you remember what happened to her?", he asked, unable to hide the curiosity in his voice. To his unpleasant surprise and growing sadness, she bowed her head low, so that her dark hair obscured her face like a veil. A low, depressed sigh escaped her.  
"No, but it was apparently terrible, according to the officer..."  
Suddenly, he felt the need to hold her, to comfort her, even if he was not sure whether or not he really had reason to. But the lost of a parent alone, no matter the circumstance, was enough of a reason to comfort a person, especially when they lost them at a tender, young age. Edna had told him she was only a small child when she lost her mother. The Key Master was sure she was as determined to find out what happened as she was when she wanted to go to her childhood home to find something that could exonerate her father. With feelings of guilt, he remembered how selfish he had been when he locked Edna and himself in the church. He had done this to prevent himself from murdering again, not realizing he also prevented her from finding out the truth. But back then, he had been too angry at himself and at her to care. He even blamed her just to ease his conscience, though he knew he had no one but to blame himself for his murdering tendencies. It was different now; he had once again murdered and this time, he would not be blaming Edna. He was sure she had heard of it by now. He overheard an elderly couple talking about the corpse that had been found; he even saw the article in the newspaper. What would Edna say if she knew the culprit was holding her close? He could imagine her shock and disgust at him and yet, he could not blame her. If he was honest with himself, he felt the same for himself. Oh, how he wished he could shelter her from the truth. But he knew she had to know, even if he could not bring himself to tell her. The fear of losing his only friend was just too great.  
"At least I know I have an aunt...", he heard Edna mutter. She had told him about this the other day and she was positively thrilled at the thought of having a relative who could still be alive. But she also voiced her confusion as to why she never heard of her aunt before.  
"Have you found out anything about her whereabouts?", the Key Master asked. Edna shook her head and said:  
"Not yet... I'm tempted to use the Internet but something inside me tells me I would find the answer if I just keep reading..."  
The Key Master nodded in understanding, hoping sincerely she would find out where her aunt was. At the same time, he wondered why she never contacted her own niece. Did she and Edna's mother have a fight and therefore break off contact before Edna was born? Or was there a completely different reason? Or maybe she had met her aunt but the memory had not returned yet? He guessed the only way to find out was for her to keep reading. Hopefully, it would not take long until she found out the truth.  
The Key Master's green eyes flickered down at her only to find that she had fallen asleep during his musings. Her face was buried in his chest and her arms were loosely draped against his waist. Guess she really needed her sleep, he thought to himself while softly stroking the back of her head and remembering the early hour she was up. He, at least, had found sleep after he returned home from his walk. Edna, however, did not look like she slept at all. Now she was in the land of dreams, holding him so that there was no way for him to shift his seating position or to get up without her waking up. He smirked and shook his head in amusement. Every time she would sleep in close proximity to him, she would end up holding him like he was Harvey or a teddy bear. Obviously, she liked to hold him, though he could not imagine why. It was not like he was the most huggable person around, in both personality and appearance. He guessed he would never know...

* * *

A couple of more days passed and Edna woke up on a warm Saturday morning. The enticing smell of pancakes drifted from the kitchen to her room. Normally, she would like to go back to sleep but there were two reasons why she got up and left her room instead. One, these pancakes smelled so delicious it would be a shame not to eat them and two, she and Tina would make a trip to the beach with Anika and Bianca. Anika mentioned during her shift the night before that her sister would join them later. Edna looked forward to spending time with her three best female friends. It had been too long since they all spent the day together.  
"Good morning", Tina said as she flipped a pancake over. Next to the stove was a plate with a stack of pancakes. "Anika and Bianca called half an hour ago. We're going to meet them near the market place."  
"Alright", Edna responded and took two plates from the cupboard and cutlery from the drawers. She took the items back to the living room and set the table, noticing the newspaper lying in the middle of the table. Wondering if there was anything new about the case with the dead man, she opened it and skimmed through the reports until...

 _Identity of Corpse And Cause of Death Revealed!_

 _The dead man who had been found in an alleyway Sunday evening has been identified as none other than Mister Helmut Diener (60), known for having affairs with several young girls. The last person to see him alive was Miss Victoria Hore (29).  
"He left my home in the early morning hours last Saturday", told Miss Hore the police. "I haven't seen him since then but we wanted to meet each other on Sunday. He never came."  
So far, there are no witnesses to the death of Mister Diener but the police have revealed it was murder. According to the forensics, he has been strangled with a thin piece of fabric.  
"It was probably a tie or something similar", said one of the forensics. "All we know is that the weapon was red and green."  
It is most likely the weapon was a red and green tie. According to Miss Hore, he wore one when he left her house but it was missing when he was found. The police asks each citizen to provide information should they have them available._

Next to the article was a photo of Helmut Diener. Edna's jaw dropped as she looked at the old man. It was the same one who harassed her a few weeks ago! Some of the sympathy she had felt for the dead man had vanished because of the harassment and because he seemed to have no respect for the female gender. Still, she did not think he deserved to be murdered. With a sigh, she folded the newspaper and put it back on the table. A moment later, Tina arrived with the stack of pancakes.  
"Breakfast time!", she announced with a big, goofy grin. The smell made Edna forget about the article.

One and a half hours later, Edna and Tina picked Anika and Bianca up from the market place. Words of greetings were exchanged before they all got into the car and drove to the beach. Every window was open as they drove on the highway. The cool wind blew through their hair with music from one of Tina's CDs providing background music. At first, it was only her singing along but since her good mood was so contagious that Bianca started to sing along as well while Anika swayed her upper body to the music:

 _Come, Mister Tally Man, tally me banana  
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)  
Come, Mister Tally Man, tally me banana  
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)  
Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch  
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)  
Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch  
(Daylight come and me wan' go home)_

The song ended after several more verses and they all giggled. Only Edna had half a grin on her face. They were a little too cheerful for her liking, which reminded her of Petra, but she did not want to spoil the fun.  
"That was fun!", Bianca laughed. The next song started, which was once again a Calypso song. Their drive continued on with lots of music, singing and laughter and, luckily, with no accidents.

It was around noon when they arrived at the beach. By now, they were all hungry, so they decided to eat lunch first. Tina and Edna led their two friends to the same place they ate lunch at when they were here last time. A long line of people preceded the four friends. Anika let out a low growl but otherwise made no other indications of her displeasure. Edna could not blame her friend of African descendant on her mother's side. She was starving as well; she should have eaten more for breakfast.  
"Any ideas what you guys wanna eat?", Tina questioned. She stood on her tiptoes and studied the menu. "I think I'm gonna eat a hamburger..."  
Bianca, who was the smallest of the group, stood on her tiptoes too. However, she seemed to be unable to see much since she asked if anyone could read the menu to her. Anika, the tallest, did so until Bianca interrupted by announcing she wanted fish sticks while the dark skinned woman decided on currywurst and fries. Edna chose a cheeseburger and it was her who ordered the meals while each girl ordered their drinks for themselves.  
"I go save us a table", Bianca said and went off. Edna would have preferred a table outside but when they arrived, each one had been occupied and, looking out of the window, it did not seem to have changed. Tina went off to join Bianca, leaving Edna and Anika alone.  
"Say, when is your sister going to join us?", Edna asked.  
"She couldn't say for sure but she reckons she can join us when we start our movie night", the taller woman replied. "It's annoying when one has to take a business trip at the last minute, isn't it?"  
"Uh...", Edna began before being interrupted by the announcement that their orders were ready. She took hers and Bianca's while Anika took the other two meals. They carried the trays to the table where Tina and Bianca sat at.  
After lunch, they leaned back, with Tina patting her stomach.  
"Whew, that was tasty", Bianca commented with a satisfied grin. The girls kept sitting in their table for a few minutes before leaving the diner. Just like the last time Edna and Tina were here, they took a walk through town and once again, Tina had her camera with her and was busy taking pictures. Whenever she saw something worth taking a photo of, she would do so, often with Edna, Bianca and Anika in them.

Later, dressed in their bikinis and swimming suits, the girls relaxed on two beach towels near the water. Anika was sunbathing or taking a nap – Edna could not really tell with her friend wearing sunglasses. Next to her were Bianca and Tina busy discussing the current murder case the police was investigating.  
"How can there be no witnesses? Wasn't there anyone looking out of their windows or out in the streets when that happened?", Bianca exclaimed indignantly. Tina put a hand on her shoulder and replied in a calm voice:  
"You have to consider though, there are times when no one would be outside or looking out of the window. It was never revealed when the murder took place. It could have been in the middle of the night; no one would have been able to witness it."  
"It's mentioned in today's newspaper he left one of his girls' houses early in the morning", Bianca pointed out. "So, we can safely assume it happened around that time."  
"I have to disagree with the usage of the word 'safely'. The early morning hours was the last time that woman had seen this philanderin' old guy but it doesn't mean he was killed at that time. It could be the earliest time he was murdered, though", Tina replied.  
"So, the last time he was seen was early Saturday morning and his corpse was found Sunday evening", Bianca began but before she could continue, Edna joined in their conversation:  
"Therefore, he must have been killed some time between Saturday morning and Sunday evening, somewhere with no witnesses. Culprit could possibly be one of his many girls."  
"Are you sure it could have been one of his girlfriends?", Bianca questioned.  
"It could be a possibility. Girls usually don't like when their man sleeps with several women", Anika chimed in. She sat up and took her sunglasses off while adding: "One could be furious that she was not his one and only and killed him because of that. But honestly, I don't see why anyone would want to be with a guy who's old enough to be their father or worse", she shuddered and made a noise that sounded like she was about to throw up, "to be their grandfather."  
"Some people are just like that", Tina shrugged. "But in my opinion, the world doesn't need men like him. Y'know, men who only wanna have sex with as many girls as possible."  
"You have my agreement on that one, Tina", Bianca said. "Guess we can consider ourselves happy we never had to deal with him."  
"Except me... He harassed me a few weeks ago", Edna quietly piped up, watching two seagulls fighting over a fish burger. She turned her head to her right to see her friends staring at her slack jawed and with big eyes. "Uh, what?"  
"How come we don't know about this? Did you manage to escape? If so, how?", Bianca questioned, speaking so fast that Edna had trouble understanding her. Nevertheless, she told her friends how that guy insisted on inviting her to his home and her refusing and how another guy came to her defense. During her tale, she left out why she was in the park at such a late hour and who came to her defense; she did not want them to know that she invited the Key Master to her and Tina's place whenever the latter would not be home at night. Edna knew she would never hear the end of it if they knew of it. After the end of her telling, Anika looked at her with scrutinizing eyes and leaned awfully close to her.  
"The guy who defended you... is that the guy you have feelings for?", she inquired. Tina and Bianca both looked like they would lose their jaws at any second.  
"My housemate's interested in someone and I know nothing about it!?", Tina leaned close to Edna, staring intently at her. "Now I want to know all the dirty details."  
"Calm down, it's not like he and I are together. Though we almost kissed once...", Edna mumbled the last part to herself but judging from the look on her friends' faces, they appeared to have heard her. She mentally slapped herself for revealing something like this out loud. Just why had she not decided to go into the water once she was in her bikini and had applied sunscreen on her body? If she had, she would not have this awkward conversation now. In hopes of saving whatever was left of her dignity, she stood up and walked to the water. She walked deeper and deeper in the water until she floated and her body got used to the cool temperature. The lower temperature felt refreshing after having spent most of the day in the hot summer sun. Edna enjoyed her swim while surreptitiously keeping an eye out for pirates. One could never know their intentions... and she would not mind joining them but only with Harvey. Unfortunately, her blue friend was at home since this was supposed to be a day for girls only. He had been disappointed when he learned he could not come along with her but perked up when Edna assured him he would be guarding the apartment and could do whatever he wanted should someone attempt to break in. Harvey had immediately counted down all the ways he would or could use to chase the intruder away, with about seventy percent of his ideas involving fire. Edna sincerely hoped no one would break in, otherwise the apartment and all their properties would not exist anymore by the time she and Tina were back home. As much as she loved Harvey, his pyromaniac tendencies could sometimes even scare her but at least he seemed to have learned that she would not destroy anything that did not belong to Doctor Marcel. If she thought about it, after she managed to leave the premises of the asylum, she kind of lost her destructive nature. She could hardly remember the last time she defiled something... except the time she wrote the word 'poopie' on Heike's chair using her handwriting when she, Edna, was alone in the classroom during a free period. Her ability of copying other people's handwriting, except in two circumstances, had been pretty much useless but it was nevertheless a fun ability to have. But she did not brag around with it, only Tina, Harvey and about everyone in the asylum knew about it. She heard someone call her name. She stopped to turn around and saw Anika swimming towards her. Edna thought about just ignoring her in fear she would want to continue the previous conversation but before she could make a decision, Anika caught up with her.  
"Don't worry, I won't be asking any questions if you don't want to tell me", she assured her. Edna nodded, sighing in relief. She did not like talking about her – non-existent – love life. In her opinion, it was something that only concerned her, although she was always happy to hear when her friends' relationships with their respective boyfriends went well. Not wanting to think too much about it, she continued swimming. Anika joined her.

Around late noon, after Bianca and Tina had also joined their swimming, they relaxed on the beach towels. Edna and Anika, who had just gone off to get them all ice cream, returned to the other two, who were once again in the middle of a conversation.  
"I can't believe Edna's got a crush on someone", Tina exclaimed. "I guess that explains where's been going off to for the last few weeks. D'you reckon I should go on a shopping tour with her and buy her beautiful outfits, something that would make her crush notice her?"  
"Oh honestly, Tina. Do you really think a new outfit would help her? He should like for her personality, not her clothes", Bianca responded reprovingly. "It's her choice if she wants to look pretty for him."  
"Yeah, you're right", Tina agreed.  
"Besides, if you're so interested in relationships, why don't you get a boyfriend yourself?", Bianca questioned. The older girl just grinned and lay down on her back.  
"It's much more fun to meddle in other people's relationships and possibly help them get together", she replied, earning a weird look from the half-Italian girl. Before she was able to reply, she was interrupted by Edna and Anika arriving with their ice creams. Edna gave her the ordered Stracciatella ice cream before sitting down in tailor-fashion. Tina sat up again as Anika gave her one with a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of strawberry. Anika had cookie dough and Edna herself had two scoop of chocolate – her favorite was unfortunately not available. The girls quietly enjoyed the cool dessert while watching all the other people here at the beach. Over time, some people had left but others had come instead, so that the beach was still as filled as it was when they arrived earlier that day. No wonder, seeing it was a hot day and people usually like to go to the beach or other public swimming places on such days.  
"Uh Edna?", Bianca spoke up. Edna looked at her, silently encouraging her to go on. "There's something I've been wondering about; you were stuck in an asylum for years... But why were you there?"  
Edna took her time finish her ice cream, contemplating whether or not she should tell her. Tina already knew, but that was because she was her housemate. Still, Edna was not entirely sure if she should tell Bianca and Anika and then she wondered to herself why she always reacted that way when she was asked about her past. Edna glanced at Tina, who gave her a tiny nod of encouragement. Thus, Edna took a deep breath and began telling her tale.  
"I see...", Bianca said after she had finished. "But what I can't comprehend is that your father told the police he killed this Alfred to protect you but you were still a child when it happened and it was an accident, so..."  
"Bianca!", Tina warned her in a reprimanding voice but Bianca either seemed not to hear her or to ignore her.  
"... you were never in trouble at all. Your father never needed to tell the police it was him who did this."  
Edna felt like she received a hard punch in her gut. Everything around her seemed to disappear in a blur. She could not hear or see anything. She just wanted to get away. She wanted to be alone. She found herself on her feet and rushed away from her friends, barely hearing one of them calling her name. So, Mattis never had to be executed in the first place if they had just stuck to the truth. Edna felt like she had more reason to blame herself for his death. She wished she had never told Bianca of her past or that she would have just shut her trap. Ignorance was really bliss, Edna thought bitterly. Her life suddenly seemed to have become more depressing with the newfound knowledge. She stopped running, finding herself at a part of the beach with no one around miraculously. Loneness was something she could need right now; she really did not want anyone to be with her. Edna felt something wet on her face. She touched her cheek, right under her eye, to find tears coming from her ocular organs. Well, that would explain why everything was a blur. With a depressed sigh, she sat at the shore with her knees drawn up to her chest and simply let her tears flow. The thought that her father could still be alive hurt so much. Everything that happened to her since the incident did not have to happen if they had only revealed the truth. To think, she could have lived a normal life with Mattis and would now live a normal life. But, there was nothing she could do about it. It was the past and the past could not be changed, no matter how much they wished for it.  
"I've... I've never been fr-free", she realized in a whisper. If she was really free, she would not continually think of Mattis and of Alfred and she would not tell herself it was all her fault – even if she did tell others it was an accident. But in her mind, she always blamed herself; she never let go of it. So, how could she ever say she was free if she never moved on? She could say she was not physically imprisoned anymore but emotionally, she had lost her contact to Lady Liberty when she was eight years old and had never regained it.  
"Edna?"  
The young woman turned her head to see Tina through her tears. Her friend looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and sad eyes and the corners of her mouth pointed downwards. Edna watched Tina, who approached her and took a seat next to her. Neither said anything, only the sound of the waves and an occasional sniff from Edna accompanied them.  
"Were you aware of this?", Edna suddenly spoke up, looking expectantly at her friend. She noticed Tina's hesitation as well as her aversion of looking at her. Edna leaned forward and spoke in a demanding voice: "Tell me!"  
"Y-yes, I was", Tina admitted. "Ever since you told me about it the other day."  
All Edna could do was to nod in acknowledgement and then going back to staring at the endless horizon. She wondered if she would ever be able to move on and let it all go, if she could ever be free. More than ever, she wished she could speak to the dead and ask for forgiveness. Maybe then she would be able to move on...  
"How... how about we get back and drive home?", Tina suggested. "Maybe a funny movie could cheer you up."  
"Yeah, okay...", Edna agreed quietly. She and Tina stood up and dusted themselves off before heading back to the other two. On their way, Edna noticed that the beach was not as stuffed anymore. Just how long was she alone crying? It felt like only a short time had passed but it seemed it was a lot more. In the distance, she could see Anika and Bianca, both who were already back to wearing their everyday clothes again. Bianca rushed to Edna when she and Tina came closer and spoke very fast:  
"Oh Edna, I'm so sorry about what I said! If I had been more considerate, I would have shut my mouth! But instead I had to babble like a nosy Nancy and hurt your feelings! You must be mad at me! How can you not be? It's not like said something as mundane as 'your hair is horrible', though I admit I do like your hair-"  
"Bianca!", Edna had to yell her friend's name to get her to shut up. It did not seem like Bianca would have stopped ranting any time soon if she had not been interrupted. "Don't think too much about it, I'm not mad at you."  
It was true. While she had felt sadness and grief, she did not feel rage or anger towards Bianca. Edna knew she did not mean to depress her and she appreciated her apology but there was really no need to babble without pausing to take a breath.  
"How about you two go and get changed?", Anika suggested. "We stay here and keep watch on our stuff."  
Edna and Tina took their clothes and went off to the changing stalls. They returned approximately ten to fifteen minutes later and packed all their belongings. Then they all walked to the car and put their stuff in the trunk. Tina, Anika and Bianca got into the vehicle but Edna took an additional minute to take one last view of the beach, pondering when she would be here next time. Hopefully soon...

Edna was half asleep during the drive back home and thought of her father. She tried not to show it but the thought he could still be alive got attached to her like honey on the sole of her shoes. Try as she might, she could not redirect her train of thought to a more joyful route. She tried to think of the upcoming movie night, of the Key Master, of Harvey, of her friend Lilli but no matter what, she was always back to one single sentence: "Mattis could still be alive". Edna's eyes started to tear up again but she did her best to hold them back, once again wishing from the bottom of her heart he, as well as Vivian and Alfred, were still alive and well. There was also another wish forming in the depths of her heart, the desire that none of the people important to her would have to suffer the same fate as her parents and her childhood friend. She could not live with herself if anything happened to her friends and to her crush. Watching the passing landscape, Edna made a silent vow to herself; she would do anything to prevent anything happening to them and she would always be there for them if they needed her. No harm should come to them, come what may. She had enough losses in her life; she did not need any more. With this thought in mind, Edna closed her eyes and dozed off.  
When she awoke some time later, Tina had parked her car in front of some apartment complex. A second later, she noticed the sun was setting. Another second later, she noticed Anika's absence.  
"Anika's going to rejoin us with her sister at my place", Bianca explained just as Tina started the car. Edna nodded in acknowledgement. She was looking forward to meet Anika's sister after having only heard of her. All she knew about her was that she was a therapist and that she lived together with her boyfriend. Edna wondered what kind of therapist her friend's sister actually was. Perhaps a psychiatrist? Or a psychologist? Edna vividly remembered the psychologist from the therapy session she attended on the day of her breakout. That lady was an unlikable, stuck up kind of person, in her opinion. Oh well, at least the session helped her reach her goal of winning a medal made of genuine gold. It was also quite convenient that the session happened to take place on the day of her escape.  
Her train of thought stopped when Tina parked the car again, this time in front of their place of residence. Everyone in the car got out and Edna and Tina took their bags from the trunk before the three girls entered the building and drove the elevator up to their floor. Not even five minutes later, the three girls were in Edna and Tina's living room. Bianca took a seat on the couch and skimmed took a _Captain Useless_ comic while the other two went to get their pajamas and hygienic products. Edna also decided to take Harvey with her. After all, there was never a mention that male blue rabbits were not allowed to their movie night.


	15. Revealed Truth

**Chapter Fifteen**

 **Revealed Truth**

Soon, Edna, Tina and Bianca arrived at the latter's house with Anika and her sister arriving shortly afterwards. Edna's first thought of her friend's sister was that she looked beautiful. Like Anika, she was tall and dark skinned; her long black hair went straight down her back, reaching her waist. The woman's dark eyes had warmth in them that reminded Edna of a fireplace on a freezing winter's night. Anika's sister came forward and offered her hand.  
"Hello, my name is Amy. As you know, I'm Anika's older sister", she introduced herself. Edna, Tina and Bianca shook hands with her while each one revealed their respective name.  
"Well, let's get inside the house. No one's there, so we can be as loud as we want to be", the half-Italian grinned. A huge grin was plastered on Edna's face when she heard this; she loved making noises but was unfortunately unable to frequently be as loud as she wanted to be. The curses of living in an apartment... The group of girls entered the house and they went straight to the Bianca's room.  
"Whoa, nice house", Amy remarked as she looked around. Bianca chuckled as she closed the door to her room.  
"Thanks", she replied. She plopped down on her bed and indicated to the other four to take a seat too. "So, what do you all wanna do first? Play video games? Listen to music and talk? Or should we go straight to watching movies?"  
"You forgot to mention karaoke", Tina pointed out. "But I'm for the second option. Amy is new among us, so that would be a great way for us to get to know her and for her to get to know us."  
"Tina's right", Edna agreed. "I would certainly like to get to know Amy."  
"And I would like to get to know you all. From what Anika told me, you are all the nicest people and best friends one could ask for", Amy piped up.  
"Are you sure she was talking about us?", Edna joked, receiving an amused "hey!" from Anika and a teddy bear chucked at her head in response. Bianca chuckled again before turning on her stereo and filling the room with Calypso music.  
"So Amy, how about you tell us about yourself?", Edna suggested.  
"Well, my life is not very exciting. I'm a psychologist and I hold therapy session in various asylums whenever I can", the oldest woman in the room started. "Unfortunately, the owner and head of the nearest asylum rarely has any therapists over and when he has, there's no guarantee I would be among them. So, I have to travel long distances just so I could do my work. Me and my boyfriend, who works as a guard in the nearest asylum by the way, are considering moving away where I could have more possibilities to practice my profession."  
Edna's heart sank when she heard that Amy held therapy session in asylums. Mental institutions were the last places she ever wanted to have any more connections to than she already had. In fact, she wished she had no connection to them at all. But now, she sat across a woman, a psychologist, who worked in those places. Edna glanced worriedly at Harvey, who looked back at her with the same expression on his face. When she looked up to Amy again, she noticed her giving the blue lagomorph a puzzled look. Worried about what the answer might be, Edna asked her question:  
"Which... which asylum the closest one you live at?"  
"The one owned by a stupid, curmudgeon, old man known as Doctor Horatio Marcel", Amy revealed. So, Edna's fear came true; someone who worked close to her enemy was in the same room as her. Although, considering the adjectives Amy used, she did not seem to be fond of Doctor Marcel, as Edna noted with amusement.  
"Doctor Marcel?", Tina repeated and turned to her housemate: "Wasn't that the name of that idiot who had you locked in a padded cell for ten years?"  
"Yes, that's the one", Edna confirmed. She noticed how Amy's eyes widened in realization.  
"Oh! Then you must be the famous and notorious Edna Konrad!", she exclaimed. When everyone else stared at her as though she had gone crazy, she proceeded: "Well, you're notorious among most of the employees, especially Babbitt, Hulgor and Bladder, for having escaped the institution and you're also famous among the patients and a couple of the employees, my boyfriend included, for the same reason. I tend to have small talks with the patients before or after a therapy session and on my first day, they could not stop praising you for your achievement."  
"Sounds like Edna's quite the celebrity", Anika remarked, sounding and looking impressed.  
"And what about me? My part in the escape was not microscopically tiny either", Harvey mumbled sullenly. Edna smiled comfortingly at her oldest friend before addressing Amy:  
"What about Harvey?"  
"Well, his contribution haven't been mentioned yet but it must be important and impressive enough for Doctor Marcel to force some patients to make eyeless copies of him", the psychologist replied. Edna and Harvey frowned at each other. Why would Doctor Marcel let others create multiple Harveys, all of them without eyes? And why were they lacking them? Edna recalled Lilli mentioning how she, in her attempt to find her, found a girl she met at the cemetery in a cell, being forced to sew several Harveys with those creepy red eyes – just like Mother Superior in Edna's former cell. Was Doctor Marcel lacking these eyes? Edna could not explain why else these stuffed rabbits had no eyes...  
"Did they mention why they have to sew Harvey copies?", Edna questioned only for Amy to shake her head:  
"No, one shrieked whenever I said something, even if it was just a hello. Another one told me she was prohibited to talk to people – at least while they still were alive – but she eventually told me she didn't know and none of the other patients knew the reason either."  
"A guy who only talked in shrieks? I know that guy! He used to sit in a corner of the laundry room near the recreation room, opposite the arts and craft room", Edna said, her eyes widening in realization. Then they went back to normal size; she furrowed her eyebrows and she made a puzzled face: "But what do you mean when one said she was not allowed to talk to living people?"  
"Dunno... Maybe she can talk to the dead?", Amy shrugged. That got Edna's interest; her desire to speak with deceased people had been mentioned in this story repeatedly and now an eventual chance was presented to her. Could this girl, who was probably in the middle of sewing another copy of her blue lagomorph, help her out and give her a chance to apologize to Mattis and to Alfred? If she could, would she? Even if the answers to her questions were positive, one problem remained: she was at the last place Edna would want to go to. Edna glanced at Amy, Tina, Anika and Bianca and contemplated asking them for their help for breaking that girl out.  
"Hate to interrupt but we would like to join the conversation and get to know Amy too", Bianca spoke up.  
"Oh yes, uh, go ahead", Edna replied, feeling a little embarrassed. She completely forgot that Bianca and Tina had not met Amy before either. So, she leaned back and let her friends ask the questions. She learned that she met her boyfriend in eleventh grade but they had not started dating until seven years ago when they met again after a couple of years of separation. Amy revealed her boyfriend's name to be Benjamin, or Ben for short, and that he got his job after answering to an ad in an issue of the newspapers. When Doctor Marcel learned she was a psychologist, he only responded with a mention of how convenient this was, nothing else. But Amy also told them that she enjoyed joining the patients with their board games, though they did tend to take these a little too seriously. Of course, she asked questions too and Edna, Tina and Bianca answered them, depending on who was asked. Edna was asked how she managed to escape but the only thing she said about her escape as that she used a chewed off toenail – much to the other girls' disgust. Edna figured out that Amy was on the patients' side and not on Doctor Marcel's, but she was still unsure whether or not she could tell her everything yet. That old man was evil, so he could torture Amy so much that she would reveal everything she learned about Edna to him. Also, she hardly knew the psychologist yet and it would be naïve to tell her everything about herself.  
Tina told Amy that her parents fled the GDR in the early Eighties, a couple of years before her older brother was born. From what she was told about her parents' childhood in East Germany, she was glad they managed to get to West Germany. Her mother even compared the Free German Youth from the GDR with the Hitler Jugend and such, the former being hardly any different from the latter – only there was no World War and the name was quite different. Also, there was the issue with the Stasi and being careful what one said about the state. After hearing all this, Edna was immensely glad that her family came from West Germany and that she was born around the time East and West Germany were reunited. When Tina was done talking about her roots, it was Bianca's turn to talk about her Italian heritage.

After they realized they had no idea what else they could talk about, they opted to let Bianca play a video game, while Edna, Tina, Anika and Amy watched her play. Edna noticed after some time it was the same game where Tina tried to dodge a high number of consecutive lightning bolts just recently.  
"How far in the game are you?", the chubby blond asked.  
"Almost at the end, I have access to the airship but I want to do the side quests before beating the final boss", Bianca replied while simultaneously sending the player character up to the airship. "I thought I could try to get the only Aeon I'm missing in my team."  
"And that would be?"  
"The Magus Trio."  
Edna noticed how a smirk spread across Tina's face as she looked at everyone else and then at herself. What was going on in her head?  
"You know, it would awesome if three of us could dress up as the Magus Trio next Halloween", the blond remarked happily.  
"And who do you have in mind?", Edna asked curiously and also warily.  
"Me, Anika and Bianca could dress up as the Magus Trio. Edna, Amy, one of you could be our Summoner and the other could be her guardian", Tina responded, for some reason looking as if she was just announcing that she was going to Disneyland. She really seemed to be getting into the idea. Edna glanced at her friends, noticing that Anika was doing the same. Then the latter gave her own reply:  
"I could see that work, though it would work better if Bianca were smaller."  
"Sorry, my body wouldn't listen to me when I told it to stop growing and it's not my fault that XY chromosomes got together during my mom's second pregnancy instead of XX", Bianca dryly replied.  
"You're still the smallest among us, though", Edna pointed out. "And at least we have an option what we could dress as on Halloween and we won't have to worry at the last minute. Our only concern would be getting the costumes."  
"I could ask my Nonna to sew the costumes", Bianca spoke up. "She'll need your sizes, though. Oh, and whether you, Edna, or you, Amy, is going to be the Summoner."  
"Let Edna be the Summoner", Amy said with a wave of her hand and a lazy grin on her face. "I can't see myself summoning powerful beings."  
"Wow, we already have plans for Halloween and the first week of summer vacation is not even over yet", Edna remarked, finding it kind of amusing. "Let me guess, we're gonna plan a Christmas party on Halloween then, right?"  
"I wouldn't be surprised if it were the case", her housemate grinned. Edna chortled, imagining how they all would be dressed up as otherworldly creatures and plan a Christmas party. There was something funny about skeletons, ghosts, Frankenstein's monster, werewolves and such to be discussing plans about a cheerful holiday. Also, it reminded her of a movie about a skeleton taking over Christmas. When no one else said anything else, they all went back to quietly watch Bianca play. She was currently in a mountain area with lots of snow, where she was busy capturing monsters. Next to Bianca lay a strategy guide with the list of fiends open; once in a while, she would consult it for one reason or another. Also, she sometimes opened the menu and a grid to increase the characters' stats and let them learn new abilities with the help of something that looked like colorful, glowing, spherical stones. Edna had often watched Tina play the same game but not enough to understand everything about it. Her housemate had recommended her to play this game too, as well as the other games from the franchise as well as the crossover franchise. Admittedly, Edna would not mind playing them but there were so many that she was overwhelmed. Perhaps one day she would bring herself to start playing – after having consulted Tina of which one she would recommend playing first.  
"Yay! Now all that's left is the Flower Scepter and I can call the Magus Trio my own", Bianca happily exclaimed after she let her player character speak to some guy who blocked the entrance of some location. Afterwards, she used the save point and to another place, to some kind of temple, where she battled a woman – the woman summoned her Aeons and Bianca let one of the characters do the same. The first opponent was a winged creature with something that reminded Edna of a beak for a face. It had red fur – or were those feathers? – on the back of its head and around the waist. Bianca called forth something that also had wings, but was much larger and darker in color. Also, it had a golden circle hovering between its wings. Bianca won that fight and did a couple of more battles until the woman clad in green summoned the same Aeon Bianca called in the first battle. The adolescent girl managed to defeat it with a creature that looked like it came straight out of Edna's nightmares, but it still looked better than several other people she knew. After this battle, Bianca received the aforementioned Flower Scepter, which she used, alongside a Blossom Crown to open a door somewhere in this location. A cutscene followed where one of the characters received the Magus Trio as a Summon. Bianca then saved the game and turned the console off.  
"I don't know about you all but I'm hungry. How about I order a pizza?", she suggested. Edna and the other three all gave a murmur of an agreement. Telling them she would be right back, Bianca left her room and returned a minute later with a flyer in her hand. The girls all sat in a circle on the floor and skimmed through the flyer, eventually deciding in pizza Hawaii and on a pizza with lots of meat and spicy toppings.  
"How about we start with our movie night now?", Tina suggested after Bianca ordered the pizzas.  
"Sure, I wouldn't mind it", Edna replied.  
"Me neither", Anika said.  
"Ditto", Amy agreed. Since the biggest television set was in the living room, as were the movies, they left Bianca's bedroom and went to the other room. The half-Italian let her friends choose the first movie, which turned out to be _Corpse Bride_ , on a mutual agreement of Anika, Amy and Tina. Edna did not particularly care as long as she liked it. Also, she was aware her housemate owned this movie too but she was never present when Tina watched it at home. So, the DVD was put in the player and Bianca started the movie after everyone got comfortable on either the couch or the floor. The first thing Edna noticed was the lack of color. If it were not for the butterfly, she would think it was a black-and-white film. Another thing she noticed almost immediately was that the characters were ridiculously meticulous; the line "And that's why everything, every last little thing, every tiny microscopic little thing must go according to plan" in the current song pretty much spoke for itself. Edna would probably be their worst enemy since she did not mind it if things were not going according to plan and she did enjoy surprises and the unexpected. Otherwise, life would be frightfully dull. Still, even if most characters she had seen so far did not seem to like surprises, there were nevertheless comedic situations – Lord Everglot's inability to smile, for instance, or Victor van Dort's messing up the wedding rehearsal. Soon, the latter found himself in the Land of the Dead, which was the complete opposite of the Land of the Living in every aspect; more colorful, cheerful and spontaneous. If being dead meant to live in such a world, then Edna hoped her parents and Alfred would have the time of their afterlives there.  
"Boah, if one gets to that kind of place after dying, I can't wait for my death!", Harvey exclaimed excitingly.  
"Harvey, you're a rag doll rabbit, you can't die", Edna pointed out, only to be hushed by the other girls. The doorbell rang and Bianca left the room to answer it, returning with their pizzas shortly afterwards. She put the boxes on the coffee table and took a slice of the Hawaii pizza before she sat down again. Edna took a slice of the other pizza, her eyes never leaving the screen. She found that she liked _Corpse Bride_ and pondered why she did not go around watching it sooner. But she rarely watched any movie Tina owned on her own; she preferred going outside or doing creative things. There was also the fact that she was not much of a movie-goer, though she would never say no to a good motion picture.  
"So, what's next?", Amy asked after _Corpse Bride_ was over.  
"How about the _Pirates of The Caribbean_ series?", Tina suggested. This got her a look from Bianca, Anika and Amy that pretty much suggested that they were wondering if she was being serious. Edna could not say for sure why they reacted like that, having only heard but not watched those movies.  
"I have _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_. We could watch that one", Bianca proposed. There was a murmur of agreement among the other girls. Five minutes later, singing red lips on a black background were seen on the television screen.

Following _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ , they went on to watch _Cabaret_ and the first film of the _Men In Black_ franchise. Afterwards, they decided to go to bed – or rather sleeping in the sleeping bags in the living room. However, despite getting comfortable in those, they did not fall asleep yet. Instead, Tina, Bianca and Anika decided to pester Edna some more about her crush with an interested Amy listening.  
"How come you never told us about this? We could have helped you and given you advice – well, Anika could have, as could her sister, since they're only ones with boyfriends but you know what I mean", Tina said, staring at Edna with penetrating eyes.  
"I could have tried to help you too, seeing that I'm working on getting a boyfriend", Bianca piped up just as Edna was about to answer Tina's question:  
"I only realized it a few weeks ago. Besides...", she turned on her back and stared at the ceiling, "... he couldn't possibly feel the same for me. Our age disparity is not quite small."  
"How big is the difference?", her housemate inquired.  
"Eight years", the former inmate of an asylum responded. She did not know what she expected her friends to say about this. Maybe that he was too old and that she should choose someone closer her age. For some reason, however, she never imagined they would react supportively, like Anika did:  
"Eight years are not that bad. I would be more worried if he were old enough to be your father or grandfather."  
"That age difference would have been bad ten years ago but you're a woman in your twenties and he would be in his early thirties, so it is not that big", Amy contributed to the conversation. "And are you sure he wouldn't like you the same way you do?"  
"I just can't imagine he would... We met a few years ago and when we parted ways, we were on less than good terms. We only happened upon each other in late May, early June, and we only got to really know each other since then", Edna explained.  
"Hey, that's approximately the time you disappeared for a couple of hours. Normally, you're home for a while after school and do your homework and then, you're usually in the park. But it stopped around that time", Tina's eyes widened in realization. "You've been seeing him all this time, weren't you?"  
There was no accusation in her voice, there was simply curiosity. Edna knew she had to tell her sooner or later, though she hoped they would not ask for his name; she still did not know it herself.  
"Yes, I was", Edna confirmed. Then she got into a more comfortable position and held Harvey close to her chest. "I'll catch some Z's now. Good night."  
As she closed her eyes, she heard the other present females bidding her good night as well.

Morning broke, though the females who enjoyed a sleepover were still fast asleep. Only one was already awake and busy tidying the living room up and this was Bianca. At the moment, she collected the nearly empty pizza boxes; one of them had a half-eaten slice left. She arched a single eyebrow at the slice, probably asking herself why the one, who started eating, did not finish it. The pizzas had not been cut into enormously big slices. Bianca headed to the kitchen where she threw the leftover into a garbage can for leftovers and food gone bad while the boxes ended up in another trash can. Aside from pizza, they had also eaten popcorn and chips as they watched movies. The chips bowl was still half-full, therefore it was put in the snack cupboard in the living room; the other bowl that was filled with popcorn was empty, bar tiny bits. Bianca took this one to the kitchen, where she cleaned it. Another one of the females awoke in the meantime; Edna sat up, rubbing her eyes and simultaneously yawning. Her half-open eyes found Harvey, who had also woken up.  
"Morning, Harv", the young woman greeted her rag doll lagomorph. He responded with something unintelligible, perhaps he was still too tired to speak. Edna smiled benignly at her friend of a primary color, and then surveyed the living room, noting Bianca's absence. Silently pondering where she could be, Edna quietly got up, not wanting to wake the others, and headed for the kitchen where she heard noises coming from. A moment later, she saw her half-Italian friend standing at the kitchen sink cleaning something.  
"Mornin', Bianca", Edna said after the running of the water had stopped. Bianca jumped and wheeled around; relaxing when she saw it was only Edna.  
"Oh hey, how long have you been standing there?", she questioned while taking a dishtowel and drying the bowl.  
"A minute or two, I s'pose", Edna shrugged. She watched Bianca drying the bowl and putting it in a cupboard. "How long have you been awake?"  
"Not that long, just long enough to tidy up the mess we left behind last night", Bianca responded. "How about we start making breakfast? That way, we could start eating as soon as the others wake up. Well, unless they wake up now. But what do you say?"  
"Well, why not?", Edna responded, properly entering the kitchen. "But what are we going to make?"  
"How about French toast?"  
"Okay."  
While Edna and Bianca prepared breakfast, the other three girls also woke up when the smell reached their noses. They followed their olfactory organ to the kitchen, where Edna and Bianca just finished the first two French toasts. It was Bianca who noticed Amy, Anika and Tina standing at the doorway.  
"Two of you can start eating if you want to, we're currently making more", she told them. The three women entered the kitchen and took an empty plate each. Anika and Tina filled theirs with one piece of French toast each and started eating while Amy and Bianca consumed the next two. Edna continued making breakfast in the meantime, also eating one as soon as Bianca finished hers. This went on in this inconvenient set up until each female had eaten their fill. The used dishes all ended up in the dishwasher, though Bianca washed the frying pan and spatula in the sink while her guests took care of their personal hygiene in the bathroom, one by one, and got dressed. Afterwards, they packed their stuff and returned home but not before saying words of departure to Bianca.

* * *

It was around midday on the following Sunday. The Key Master leaned back to study the clay figure he had been working on for several days. He had been awake for several hours since he had been unable to sleep any longer and so he decided to work on it. The only thing the sculpture was missing was paint but he decided to add it later. Hard to believe, the green-skinned man reflected, he would take something like this up for a hobby. Still, it was better than nothing or going through another relapse. He had to remember to thank Edna for getting him into the creation of clay figures, though he never expected from her to have this for a hobby, seeing that she boycotted occupational therapy. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she, and he himself for that matter, could make whatever they wanted and not those ugly ashtrays. The Key Master stood up and put his materials away in the drawer, leaving only the figure out. His stomach grumbled in hunger and he felt he was in need of fresh air. So, he took two sandwiches and a slice of cake left over from the picnic as well as a bottle of water and ate his breakfast or lunch, depending on how one would see this. After he was done, he went into the bathroom for his body hygiene and to get dressed. Clad in a pair of black pants, a purple shirt, and black boots, he left the house and walked towards town. He had the urge to take a walk in a place that was not as isolated as his hideout. No one had recognized who he really was, which kind of amazed him. After all, he was a dangerous, psychotic killer and yet, it was like he was an Average Joe, just like Edna, who was a known escapee from an asylum. Even worse, she was known under her real name around here, so it would have been easy for her to be captured. But even after a few years had passed since she first came here, she was still walking around freely. He managed to avoid authorities by keeping himself hidden until recently. One would think both he and Edna would be in back in solitary cells by now. Perhaps, the Key Master figured, they just did not care. During his musings, he had managed to walk all the way to the park without miraculously bumping into someone. Then again, most people would be home preparing lunch at this time of the day. Only relatively few members of the species Homo sapiens were out and about, particularly the miniature ones also known as children. Oh well, it was not like he wanted to socialize; he just wanted to be somewhere he would not be alone. Something small bumped into him, causing it to emit an "oof!". He looked down to see the something was a girl with dark brown hair and clad in a yellow top and hot pants. A moment later, he realized it was the same girl he saw Edna talking with the other day.  
"Sorry", the girl apologized and rushed off. However, she stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. She had her eyebrows furrowed and the kind of look like she thought she recognized someone on her face. A moment later, she shrugged and resumed walking. The Key Master pondered what this was about. Did that girl recognize him? But she seemed so young, not like she was in an age to follow the news. At least not those from a few years ago, the time of his escape. If he thought about it, he was not sure whether or not a picture of him and the other escapees accompanied the report about the breakout. It did not matter anymore, none of them had been caught so far and most people seemed to have forgotten about it.  
The Key Master strolled along the path, now and then watching cheerful children play and running around like hyperactive squirrels. Seeing them triggered memories of his own childhood; he loved playing with his friends, they usually used to pretend they were pirates of cowboys or something obscure, like undead shape shifting cowboys. It was also around the time when video games increased in popularity and he would either have his friends at his place or he would be at their place and they would play video games. As the Key Master had gotten older, his playing video games decreased and he started to get interested in other things. Now as an adult, who used to be in a mental institution, he was more concerned about staying out of the establishment, perhaps flee the country and start a new life. A few weeks ago, he was definitely sure about going abroad but something held him back as time passed. What it was, he was not sure, he did not even know it. Perhaps he would feel more certain about this if he knew what made him hesitate. Maybe it was the fact that he still could not remember everything from his past and he felt he should not leave until he had all of his memories back. However, the Key Master could sense there was more than this... But the more he tried to figure out what it was, the crazier he got. Perhaps he should just stop thinking about it... Well, he did seem to have found a distraction sitting under a tree and reading something.

* * *

The distraction happened to be a young woman with dark purple hair, who usually had a blue rag doll rabbit with her. After her sleepover at Bianca's place and one big breakfast, she and Tina had gone home, where the latter currently was. Edna, however, decided to take advantage of the warm weather and went to the park to continue reading Vivian's diary. Ironically, the entry she was reading at the moment was made during a cold season:

 _December 24th, 1986_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's been three years since Mattis and I started dating. He seemed to be nervous but when asked, he said everything was fine. Dad, however, seemed to know what was going on, judging from the way he was grinning the whole time. I hope it was something good... Anyway, I should go back to my family and spend time with them.  
Another Christmas Eve had come to an end and it was probably the best one in my entire life! Mom and Dad got me and Mattis a trip to the USA for next March. I always wanted to see the States and now I have the chance to with the man I love. Maria got me a record of an opera, even though I'm not fond of opera. She meant it well but she can be quite scatterbrained. How do you solve a problem like Maria? But I still love her; she's the best sister anyone could wish for. But the best present I got from Mattis. Let's just say, in near future, I'll be known as Mrs Vivian Konrad. Yes, that's right! He proposed! Oh, I could have danced all night!_

"And still have begged for more?", Edna mused with a grin. She felt happy for her mother, even if this all happened long ago, before she was even born. But she could still feel Vivian's happiness and love in these words. It was hard for her to imagine that somebody could do something dreadful to her. Edna wished she knew what it was but at the same time, she was afraid to. She contemplated finding Officer Schmitz and ask her but her fear made her hesitate. She did not even know why she was scared of knowing the answer. Was the truth even more gruesome than anything she ever remembered experiencing?  
"Have begged more for what?", a voice to her right questioned. Edna looked up from the diary to see the Key Master standing next to her.  
"Oh hello", she greeted him and patted the empty space next to her to invite him to sit down. "I didn't notice you were here."  
"Oh, I've been here in the park for half an hour but I haven't realized you were here too until a moment ago", the Key Master admitted while sitting down. His eyes flickered from Edna's face to the lavender blue book cover and then back again. "Reading your mom's diary again?"  
"Of course", Edna confirmed and closed the book. While locking the diary, she added: "I was just at the part where Mattis proposed to her."  
"I see", her male companion responded. "How was your day with your friends?"  
"It was fun; we got to meet Anika's older sister. Her boyfriend happens to work at the asylum we escaped from", the young woman answered. She noticed he looked none too happy about this little fact. "Don't worry; I don't think she or her boyfriend will tell Doctor Marcel anything."  
However, the Key Master did not seem to be convinced. Edna sighed and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Despite having only spent a few hours with Amy, she felt she could trust the woman. Of course, she could not say anything abut her boyfriend but from what she learned about the couple, she had a feeling she could trust him too. But the Key Master had not met Amy and knew nothing about her and her boyfriend, so Edna guessed she could hardly blame him for being skeptical.  
"Trust me; I can sense she won't betray us. Even then, it would only be me as she doesn't know you're here. Although, I did talk about you...", she mumbled the last part almost incoherently. Nonetheless, the Key Master seemed to have understood what she was saying since he narrowed his eyes at her:  
"Since when am I an interesting topic for conversations?"  
"Since my friends noticed my disappearance for several hours on a nearly daily basis?", Edna grinned sheepishly. "I didn't mention your name though. Actually, the conversation about you started when we were about to hit the hay and I told them I wanted to sleep before they could ask too many questions."  
It was not a lie, only the half-truth, with her conveniently leaving out the part of their discussing her crush on him. She felt it was not the time for him to know this... yet. When she would tell him the whole truth, she did not know. Maybe something inside her would tell her it was time for him to know.  
"What did you tell them about me?", the Key Master asked, attempting to keep his voice nonchalant and casual, though a slight hint of curiosity could still be heard if one listened closely.  
"Only that we met a few years ago, parted on bad terms... What?", she added when she saw him raising an eyebrow.  
"Parted on bad terms?", the Key Master repeated questioningly.  
"I don't know about you, but I don't think telling them I nearly killed you would be a good idea and the way we went different paths in that church was anything but with pleasant thoughts about each other", Edna retorted before adding, as if in an afterthought: "Well, I think you hadn't any kind thoughts about me when you regained consciousness."  
"You're right. Please, do continue", the green-skinned man requested.  
"And met each other again about a month ago and that we started to reconnect", Edna finished as if she had never been interrupted. She tried to think of something else they could talk about but no topic came up in her mind. So, she rested her head against the tree trunk and watched the passersby strolling along the path.

 _Money makes the world go round  
The world go round, the world go round  
Money makes the world go round  
It makes the world go round_

"Beg pardon?", the Key Master looked strangely at her.  
"Oh!", Edna blushed. She had not noticed she was singing the song that had been stuck in her head since the previous night under breath. For the second time that day, a sheepish grin appeared on her face. "Sorry, I can't get that song out of my head."  
"No problem, it can happen to anyone", the Key Master replied. "And you're singing voice is not half bad. Maybe not on the same level as a professional singer but I've heard worse."  
"Thanks", Edna was unable to wipe the big smile off of her face when after he complimented her. She was not particularly fond of her singing voice, even if she did like to sing when she got the urge... which was not very often. Still, knowing someone close to her liked her voice made her heart swell up in joy.  
"How about we go drink a coffee?", Edna suggested, still smiling.  
"Only if you pay, I've got no money anymore", the Key Master replied.  
"Okay", the young woman nodded. She was about to stand up when she noticed she was still holding his hand. She had not realized she never let go after taking it to reassure him earlier. He had not said anything either and he did not bother to let go when they both stood up.  
"Lead the way", he said. Edna stooped down and took her things before they went back to the path and made their way to a café.  
Soon, they had taken a seat at a table in a corner of a café. A waiter had just taken their orders and while they were waiting, they quietly watched the other patrons. Edna often looked out of a nearby window to see people passing the café, wondering what stories were behind their faces and where their life would lead them. It was funny how life could take people down to different paths, regardless of their origins. Two human beings of the same or at least similar background could end up in different places; if they were both born in poverty, one of them could become a millionaire and the other could remain poor. No one knew what could happen in life, it all depended on the decisions made, which, in turn, could lead people to wonder what might have happened if they had chosen differently. This was why Edna believed that for each decision, there existed an alternate universe.  
"Here you are", the waiter said as he placed her order and the Key Master's order on the table. Edna stirred her cappuccino before taking a sip.  
"So, what have you been doing yesterday?", she asked after she put the cup down. The Key Master took his time to drink from his coffee and then answered:  
"Nothing interesting. I attempted doing art, as you suggested, and I read another Brothers Grimm fairytale. By the way, you could get me another book if this isn't too much to ask for."  
"Not at all, just tell me what kind you like", Edna responded. "You somehow neglected to mention it every time we spent several hours together getting to know each other."  
"I have a preference of Thriller and Horror stories", the male humanoid replied. "Stephen King, for instance, is an author I like reading."  
"Well, he did write a lot of books I'm sure you haven't read yet. So, it would be no problem for me to find something", the purple haired woman said and took another sip from her cappuccino.  
"I haven't read anything except fairytales for ages, I wouldn't mind anything old and already well-known either", the Key Master retorted with a grin. Edna grinned back.

* * *

Gabrielle met up, reluctantly, with Heike and Daniel shortly after her run-in with the green-skinned man. She had vague memories of having seen a picture of the man somewhere years ago, or at least of someone who resembled him. But try as she might, she could not recall where and in what context she had seen the picture. This was why she took another look at the man before continuing on to her destination. Maybe it was her imagination but Gabrielle could have sworn having seen him in Edna's company at least once. If it really was the case, the two most likely knew each other from wherever they hailed from, perhaps they were even old friends. Well, they did seem to be friendly to each other when she saw them.  
"Gabrielle, what's taking so long? I don't have all day!", an obnoxiously shrill voice called. Gabrielle rolled her eyes in exasperation and ran to the tree where Heike and Daniel were waiting for her.  
"Really, be on time next time. You're always too late", Heike reprimanded her. Gabrielle refrained herself from rolling her eyes again and instead looked at her and her boyfriend expectantly.  
"Well? Why did you want to meet up with me?"  
"It's about your hearing tomorrow", Daniel explained. The brunette raised both her eyebrows.  
"What about it?"  
"Well, I want Edna to suffer the worst the police can do to her", Heike replied. "So I want you to say to the officer that she pushed me into the pond for no reason at all and that she pushed my head under water until I nearly drowned."  
Behind the blond girl, Gabrielle saw Daniel's eyes widening as though he had neglected mentioning one part of what Heike demanded. The brunette was unsure herself. Lying to the police? Was this really a good idea? She seriously had her doubts about this but she also knew her qualms would fall on dead ears. So, to avoid Heike belittling her, Gabrielle nodded in agreement while thinking to herself that she would tell the truth. After all, she was not so stupid to lie to the authorities; the truth would always come out sooner or later.  
"Very good", Heike said as though she was talking to a four year old. Gabrielle glared at her for using this tone, which she did not seem to notice. Heike strutted away from the tree, her head raised and a haughty expression on her face.  
"Come on, I need new outfits to keep up with the fashion!", she called to the other two without turning around. Daniel hurried after her; Gabrielle really did roll her eyes this time but nonetheless followed them.

* * *

The two friends, who were both once stuck in the same asylum, finished their hot beverages. Edna paid for those and she and the Key Master were about to leave when a clumsy waitress tripped over her feet, causing the Frappuccinoand cake she was carrying to splatter all over the Key Master's shirt.  
"Oh! I'm sorry!", she cried and took a cloth a colleague was about to use to clean a table from his hands. "Here, let me help you!"  
"No, thank you", the Key Master replied, somewhat testily. He did not need this person to ruin the shirt any further. "I just go home and get changed."  
He stormed out of the café before the waitress could do any more damage. He heard fast footsteps behind him and he somehow knew it was Edna trying to keep with him. The Key Master slowed down his pace to let her catch up. Once she was next to him, he picked up the pace, though a little slower than before. He wanted to get out of this stained shirt as soon as possible.  
"I'll wash that when I get home", Edna offered, nodding towards the shirt at the word 'that'.  
"I would certainly appreciate it", the Key Master replied, feeling glad he had someone with a washing machine for a friend, otherwise he would not know what to do. Of course, he appreciated his friendship with her for other reasons than for a device to clean garments but at the moment, he was glad for the washing machine. He had not so many clothes, so every article of clothing counted. After all, he had no desire to walk around naked one day; he was no nudist.  
The moment he arrived in the house he currently lived in, he went straight to his closet. Edna, he noticed, went to the table where the clay figure still stood. The Key Master watched her admire it, though he saw she had a frown on her face. Did she not like it or was it another reason?  
"Was that one your first attempt?", Edna inquired just as he took off his shirt and gave it to her. She put it in her bag and he opened his closet. He noticed the red and green tie he had used to murder a dirty old man lying atop some shirts. His plan was to burn it with fire but he had neglected to do so despite having had plenty of time. Hopefully, Edna would not notice the tie, at least not until he told her the truth.  
"Yes, it was", the Key Master confirmed as he picked a black shirt and put it on. During the brief moment when all he could see was black, he heard Edna saying something:  
"Looks good but who – You dropped something. I get it for you."  
By the time the Key Master had his shirt on stood Edna already in front of him, examining with a frown and an open mouth the dropped object – the green and red tie. She slowly raised her head to stare at him.  
"A red and green tie...", she breathed. "Same as the weapon used to murder this Helmut Diener... You don't wear ties, so why do you have it?"  
"Edna –", he began. He wanted to explain everything, to make her understand.  
"You were the culprit", she interrupted, comprehension dawning on her face. The Key Master inwardly cringed at the accusing sound of her voice. He tried again to explain it to her:  
"Edna, listen –"  
"No!", she took a step backwards, vehemently shaking her head. She kept talking, almost shrieking, with tears in her purple eyes: "I thought I could trust you! That you have changed! But now I realize I was wrong! I should have listened to Harvey!"  
The Key Master watched her throwing the tie to the floor, marching over to her items and taking them, all the while he was too stunned to move. It was only when she opened the door and left through it; he found the feelings in his legs again.  
"Edna, wait!", he called after her as he pursed her. But she kept on walking; he ran faster, calling her name again. She picked up her pace and so did he until they reached the edge of the forest. That was when he caught up with her and grabbed her wrist.  
"Leave me alone!", Edna shrieked. "Or I will send an anonymous message to the asylum and tell them of your location!"  
He let go of her wrist and of his only friend. She shot him one last furious look and disappeared into the woods... The Key Master hung his head, for the first time realizing how painful it was to lose a friend. He stood in the same spot for a long time what felt like an eternity to him. Slowly, he returned to the house, cursing himself for letting the tie drop, for letting himself lose control, letting himself kill a man, letting himself lose her...

* * *

Edna broke into a run once she was in the forest. She hopped over or body-swerved obstacles and did not stop running even after she was out of the forest and back in town. The tears in her eyes made everything in front of her blurry; she felt how she bumped into other people but did not bother to stop and apologize. All she wanted to do was to run home. So, she kept on running, never stopping. Not even to use the elevator when she entered the apartment building, opting to take the stairs instead. The only time she stopped was to unlock the door to her and Tina's apartment. After she walked through the open door, she slammed it shut, ran from the hallway through the living room to her room, barely registering Tina calling her name in a confusing voice. Exhaustion caught up with Edna and she let herself fall on her bed. Disappointment, anger, sadness filled her every being as she curled up into a ball. How could she have ever thought that a psychotic murderer like the Key Master could ever change? Why had she been so willing to give him a second change? He was still the same man who killed an innocent reverend all those years ago. Edna felt like a fool for trusting him again. Harvey was right to mistrust him...  
"Edna?", she heard Tina say worriedly. The purple haired woman turned her head to see her housemate standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Edna looked away again, feeling the mattress going down a little thanks to the added weight of Tina, who sat down next to her.  
"Do you want to talk about it?", she asked.  
"No", Edna answered emotionlessly. She heard Tina sigh and felt her standing up. Edna heard her steps as she left her room but she herself did not move, she was lacking the will and energy to. From the living room, she heard Tina's voice but what she was saying, she could not make out. However, she heard her housemate reentering her room a few minutes later and felt her weight on the mattress again. Next thing she knew, she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
"I just called my uncle and asked him to give you a few days off, thought you could need it", Tina said in a comforting voice. "He was willing to."  
"Thanks..."  
A tiny amount of the anger, sadness and disappointment disappeared when Edna thought she was lucky to have a friend and housemate like Tina.

* * *

Author's note: The comparison of the Free German Youth to the Hitler Jugend is actually something my mother told me from her experiences in her childhood in the GDR. Let's just say I was lucky to be born after West and East Germany were reunited. The GDR was really not a place you guys would have gladly want to live in - no real freedom to travel, only a selected few countries, you had to be careful of what you said, if you said something offensive about the state to a group of people, chances are, one of them is with the Stasi and it's off to prison with you. A part of me wanted Tina, and therefore her brother, to have lived in the GDR for the first few years of their lives but then I decided that their parents had fled the GDR, just because I liked it better this way.


	16. Accustomed To A Face

**Chapter Sixteen**

 **Accustomed To A Face**

"So, she still won't leave the building?"  
A week had passed since Tina found Edna being depressed about something. The next day, she had called Anika and Bianca and told them about this and they, in turn, told Gregor, Sebastian and Amy. They all, except Amy since she had been busy with work in another town for a few days and only returned an hour ago, tried to get Edna to talk to them but it was in vain. They still did not know what was wrong, Tina's housemate refused to tell them. Since that day, Edna rarely left her room, only to use the bathroom or to get something from the refrigerator. But she had not gone outside once; every time Tina saw her, she was reading her mother's diary or typing on her laptop like there was no tomorrow. At the moment, Tina, Bianca, Anika and Sebastian were at the marketplace, sitting at the well.  
"It's even a miracle to see her leave her room", Tina answered Anika's question. The dark skinned woman nodded with a worried frown. "And the worst part is that she still won't tell me what's wrong."  
"Do you reckon it's got something to so with her crush?", Bianca wondered aloud. That was something none of them had thought about yet.  
"Edna has a crush on someone?", a surprised Sebastian asked but the girls ignored him.  
"Hm, she did seem so upset that one could think her heart had been broken...", Tina mused. "Maybe she saw him with another girl and that broke her heart but..." She shook her head. "In all the years I've known her, she never came across as the kind of person to disconnect herself from the outside world after a shocking experience."  
"Maybe she doesn't leave the apartment in fear of seeing him?", Sebastian suggested. Bianca looked at him with big surprised eyes:  
"That could actually be possible. Are you sure you came up with this on your own?"  
"No need to be so offending", Sebastian sulked.  
"Guys, you two have plenty of time to flirt later", Tina retorted, rolling her eyes. "This is serious."  
"Me and Gregor are going to visit Amy and Ben later, I could ask my sister to talk to Edna", Anika offered.  
"You do that, please", Tina replied. "Perhaps she can figure something out."  
The blond sighed and looked up to the endless blue sky, watching the passing clouds and thinking back of the day Edna started to behave strangely. She had tried her best to cheer Edna and initially thought she was doing a good job but it actually did little to nothing. All Tina could safely say that her housemate had stopped crying, though she did hear her sobbing once or twice since then. Tina wanted to see what was wrong with her and comfort her but when she knocked at her bedroom door; however, she only heard her say in a thick voice she was fine and that she wanted to be alone. So, Tina respected her wish, despite having qualms about it.  
"Hm, let's see, we know Edna met a friend she hadn't seen in years again about a month ago and since then, she's been seeing him every day", Bianca said musingly. "So, he must be living nearby but where?"  
"Why? Do you want to visit him?", Sebastian questioned.  
"I thought we could go see him and ask him if he knew anything about Edna but", Bianca sighed, "all we know about him is that he's eight years older than her."  
"Yeah, she could have told us his name at least", Anika sighed before taking a look at her watch. She stood up. "Well, gotta go now. Call me if you guys learn anything about Edna."  
She waved at her friends while she departed. After she was gone, Tina looked at Sebastian and Bianca:  
"Any ideas what we could do to get Edna outside again?"  
Sebastian glanced up to the skies above, one of his eyebrows was arched, and the other was a straight line. He rested his head on his fist and the arm attached to the fist rested on his other arm, which lay on his thigh. Bianca let her dark eyes wander; her right hand covered her mouth and chin. She had her eyebrows furrowed under her fringe. Tina supported her head on her fists, her arms, in turn, supported themselves on her thigh. Her eyes, like Bianca's, wandered around, taking in the people strolling around in the marketplace.  
"I've got it!", Bianca suddenly exclaimed with a face that basically said 'Eureka!'. Her sudden shout startled people, causing a couple of them to stare at her. However, she ignored them. Both Tina and Sebastian looked curiously at their half-Italian friend. She indicated them to come closer, so they leaned forward.  
"My parents, Nonna Francesca and my brother aren't home on Friday, so we could throw a party for Edna at my house", Bianca suggested. Tina thought about this. She knew Edna liked loud music but could never listen it as loudly as she wanted since the neighbors would just come complaining. Edna even once lamented about this fact.  
"Sounds good, but we should make sure the party has everything Edna likes", the blond replied. "It is for her after all."  
"What!?", an obnoxious voice shrieked. The three friends looked up to see the unpleasant sight of Heike, who was being flanked by Daniel and Gabrielle, looking down at them. "Why would you throw a party for such a useless weirdo as that insult to fashion?"  
"What do you care?", Bianca spat. "That's none of your business! And stop insulting Edna! She's worth more than you!"  
Heike laughed loudly and shrilly, sounding like a goat that inhaled helium and was dying miserably. Daniel held his stomach and howled in laughter, he looked like he was about to get onto his knees. Gabrielle, however, looked unsure and only forced a meek laugh out. Tina, Bianca and Sebastian glared at the two who were laughing out loud.  
"Come poppet, let's go before we start agreeing with those nutties", Daniel laughed and snaked an arm around Heike's waist. The couple left while Gabrielle remained with the other three.  
"Just out of curiosity, why are you planning to throw a party for Edna?", she asked.  
"Well, Edna's been depressed lately, so we thought a party for her could cheer her up", Sebastian explained. Gabrielle frowned at him:  
"Do you know why she's depressed?"  
"That's the thing, we don't know", Bianca piped up. "She won't tell us."  
"Say Gabrielle", Tina leaned forward and eyed with a questioning face, "you had to go to the police because of the incident in the park too, right? What did you tell them?"  
"I told them the truth, how Edna was provoked to push Heike into the pond, although Heike wanted me to lie for her", the girl with the dark brown hair replied. Suddenly they heard Heike calling for Gabrielle and storming towards them.  
"What are you waiting for, you good for nothing hussy? I need you to tell me how perfect I am!", the platinum blond girl exclaimed angrily.  
"Isn't it enough that Daniel is always kissing up your ass, both literally and figuratively?", Bianca asked in a bored voice. Tina, Sebastian and even Gabrielle roared in laughter.  
"I don't know what these words mean but a girl can never get enough compliments!", Heike said haughtily. "Now come on, Gabrielle!"  
Heike stormed off with her nose high in the air, so that everyone coming across her had a good look at her nostrils. Gabrielle gave the three friends sitting at the well an apologetic smile before following the annoying girl. The moment they were out of sight, Tina, Bianca and Sebastian started talking about the party again.

* * *

Heike, meanwhile, stormed off to the stand where Daniel was waiting for her, with Gabrielle in tow. The brunette had to admit that Bianca was right, both in why she was even Heike's friend – or rather lackey – and what she had said only a minute ago. She really needed to stop doing whatever the platinum blond wanted and start doing what she, Gabrielle, wanted. She was her own person, her own boss. It was time Heike understood this, and Gabrielle herself too.  
"Really, what are you doing with these idiots? Don't you realize they're too stupid to realize the brilliance of me?", Heike ranted.  
"As brilliant as the author of the _Twilight_ books", Gabrielle mumbled so low the other girl could not hear her. Then she added in a normal volume: "You know what, I think it's enough that Daniel comments on your looks and outfits. I go now."  
Thus, Gabrielle rushed off, ignoring the blonde's calls of coming back, and returned to Edna's friends.

* * *

Meanwhile, a couple of kilometers away from the marketplace, sat Edna in her room, in front of her laptop, typing almost as fast as Sonic could run. No one but she and Harvey knew what she was writing; she did not want anyone to know yet. She would let her friends read it when it was finished. Their opinions mattered to her.  
"I think a break is in order", she said to herself and saved the file. She shut her laptop and stretched her arms.  
"I don't understand it", Harvey piped up from his place on Edna's bed. The young woman looked at her lagomorph friend questioningly:  
"What is it that you don't understand?"  
"I don't understand why you don't write an anonymous letter to Doctor Marcel and tell him about the Key Master's whereabouts", Harvey explained. "He is mad, insane and a psychotic killer. He is dangerous. He belongs in a cell."  
"I can't, Harv, I just can't", Edna replied in a heavy voice. She stood up from her chair and went to her window, taking in the sight of the beautiful warm day outside. She longed to go out there and have fun with her friends and yet, she found she did not have the will to. Somewhere out there was the Key Master and he was currently the last person she wanted to come across. At the same time, however, she really missed him, despite still being mad at him. But how could she trust him again? He killed an innocent man – well, innocent not in the biblical sense – and did not even have the nerve to tell her the truth! She might be more forgiving if he had just told her about this. But the discovery of the murder weapon made her doubt him. If he kept this a secret, what else would he keep a secret? Was everything that happened between them over the last month nothing more than an act? A facade to get close to her to... what exactly? He would gain nothing from killing her. But since when did psychos ever need a reason to do a person in? It might have been a game for him, a sick game to demoralize and depress Edna.  
"I go get something to eat", she muttered almost inaudibly and left her room for the kitchen. If she would walk past a mirror she would see an image of herself not unlike the reflection she saw when she escaped the asylum. Her hair hung lifelessly down from her, her eyes were large and bulgy – though not as large as they were back then – and she had rings under the ocular organs. All in all, she looked terrible and she knew it. In fact, she had not taken care of her personal hygiene for a week and even she was starting to feel uncomfortable. Perhaps she should take a shower or two and brush her teeth. So, she changed her course and went to the bathroom instead of the kitchen. Edna chuckled and shook her head as she thought about the irony of this. In her childhood, she had to be forced to take care of her hygiene and now, she was about to do this voluntarily. After all, she was not a little girl anymore; she had grown up and changed. The times of playing in mud or blowing up tadpoles were over.  
Edna shed her rather smelly clothes from her body and stepped into the shower. She turned the water on and, a second later, shed felt the warm drops raining all over her body, landing on the bathtub with loud splashes. Once she was wet enough, she reached for the nearby shower gel and applied it all over herself. After having done so, she took a bottle of shampoo and used it on her hair. Then she turned the water back on and let her mind wander. It was unfair that childhood was so short; people were required to grow up too fast to really enjoy being a child. Maybe it was necessary hundreds of years ago, when the lifespan of humanoids was far shorter than it was nowadays. Would it not be better if people had more carefree days and give them more time to plan their future? So many students who were about to graduate were not sure what to do after school. They had not found their way in life yet. So, should people not get a little more time before they become adults? She did not mean people should behave like they were five years old when they were twenty-five but that they should not be required to have their whole future already planned in their teens. Adulthood took up the majority of one's life and with it, hardships and responsibilities they did not have when they were children.  
"Perhaps it's just me wanting to live my lost childhood years...", Edna pondered as she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower.

"Did you get lost on your way to the kitchen? Or did you buy that Knoppers in the store?", Harvey asked half an hour later when Edna, with a towel wrapped around her body and Knoppers in her hand, returned to her bedroom. "You've been gone for a long time. And why are you wearing only a towel?"  
"I've been taking a shower", she replied while placing her Knoppers on her desk. Then she opened her closet and took new clothes – underwear, an oversized shirt and harem pants. She put these on and was about to leave her room when she saw the Key Master's purple shirt with the coffee stain on the floor. It landed there a few days ago when she was looking for her mother's diary after having misplaced it. With a shrug, she took it too and went back to the bathroom, where she put the in the washing machine along with her own clothes. The moment the clothes were being washed, she returned to her bedroom, took the Knoppers and Vivian's diary. She opened the latter to March 1987, the time her parents had their trip to the United States of America. While reading about the adventures, the fun and sights Mattis and Vivian had encountered over there, Edna removed the wrapping from her snack and started eating. The more she read about the trip, the more envious she got. Since she was a child, she wanted to see more of the world than the village she grew up in. Mattis actually promised they would make a trip to Great Britain once she could speak and understand English well enough to ask essential questions and such. Unfortunately, the incident that led to his death and her being in an asylum occurred before it could ever happen. Maybe someday, she would be able to see the world. There were so many places she wanted to see...

* * *

Everything as the same as always in the asylum. Employees were doing their work, while the patients were either in the recreation room or in their cell, and then there were also the patients who were forced to do manual labor. Those who belonged to the third category had already given up on ever knowing why they had to make these things. It was certainly less painful than asking questions. Anes had a little too much fun pummeling them for asking questions. It was a miracle he was even married. What kind of woman could stand being together with a man like him? It was incomprehensible. At least none of the patients had to be worried about him at the moment since his shift had ended an hour ago. The other employees were not as sadistic as Anes was, though many still were rather mean to the patients. One of the few who treated them like they were normal, mentally healthy people currently stood guard outside the door of Edna's former cell. Ben observed his surroundings for his colleagues or Doctor Marcel. When he saw he was completely alone, he opened the panel of the door cell to see through the grate four patients working on some kind of darts. He did not know what they were for or why they were forced to make them, all he knew was that they had been forced to make them after Anes presented one of those darts to Doctor Marcel. What was so special about them? Ben watched the four patients for a while, noting that they moved like robots – in synchronization without missing a beat. He was aware of Babbitt being annoyed of them holding conversations but even them talking with each other seemed to have stopped. They looked miserable and Ben really could not blame them. They only had each other for company and were not allowed to return to the other patients. The only other person they ever saw were the guard who currently kept watch at the door, if he decided to check on them, and whoever brought them their daily bread and water. Who would not get miserable in these conditions?  
"Psh, hey", he whispered just loud enough to get their attention. Tiger Head was the first one to look up. She lightly hit with the back of her left hand on Peter's shoulder and then did the same with her right hand and Bruce's shoulder.  
"What?", the latter asked, a little aggressively, which got the Washing Maniac's attention. Tiger Head simply nodded towards the door, where Ben was still looking at them through the grate.  
"Oh hi, Ben!", the Washing Maniac greeted him cheerfully. However it was crystal clear that his smile was forced and not genuine but Ben could see in his eyes he was glad to see him. "What can we do for you?"  
"I just wanted to see how you all are holding up", the young man replied. "Are you alright or at least as alright as you can be under these circumstances?"  
"I guess it could be worse", Peter answered in his usually depressed voice, though it did sound more depressed than it used to. "But if I'm already denied the mercy of a quick, painless death, I would rather have more company. I wouldn't even mind Petra's company."  
Tiger Head stared at him with eyes as big as saucer plates. Her eyebrows went up so high that they disappeared under her fringe. Then her facial expression changed into a grin and she drew a heart in the air with her two index fingers.  
"She's not my girlfriend", Peter glared at the only female in the cell. Ben chortled. Suddenly, he heard a nearby door open.  
"Gotta go now", he whispered hurriedly. "If I get the chance to, I'll give you some of my lunch next time I talk with you."  
He closed the window before he could hear their response. Not even a minute later, he saw Hulgor coming his way.  
"Are the loonies behaving?", he questioned.  
"All things are in order", Ben said in an emotionless voice.  
"Good", the blond man with the permanent five o'clock shadow replied before turning to his right and descending the stairs. Ben shook his head at his colleague. Every time he heard Hulgor talking, he either got the feeling he was losing brain cells or that he was speaking with a Neanderthal. Perhaps Doctor Marcel was in need of someone with more brawns than brains, even if Ben could not imagine why. Having someone like Hulgor for a minion still did not help when the old man was pushed down the stairs. Seeing how he treated his patients, Ben felt he deserved it. Of course he would never say it out loud, at least not when the risk of his employer hearing this was great. In the end, Doctor Marcel would fire him and make sure he would never get a job around here anymore or worse, he could use his controversial therapy methods on him. Ben knew of the 'correction of character' method and he did not like what he heard about this at all. It was no different from brain washing, in his opinion.

* * *

The day was slowly coming to an end. Edna had not left her room since she put the dirty and smelly clothes in the washing machine. She spent hours reading the old lavender blue diary so that she already reached the entries written in 1988. At the moment, the diary lay on her bed, open on a page that began on Valentine's Day of the year. Edna herself, however, was back at her laptop, writing her story. Next to her laptop was an empty plate, which was filled with chicken nuggets, French fries and salad until an hour ago when she ate it all. Tina had once again asked her what was wrong with her, like she did every time she brought her meal over the course of last week. Edna kept quiet; she did not want to talk about this, no matter how often she was asked. She heard the door bell ring and wondered who would come to visit at this hour. Did Tina invite someone without informing her? Edna fell as silence as a grave and tried to listen to the faint voices from the hallway. She could make out four different voices, one male and three females; one of the female voices was obviously Tina but she had a hard time distinguishing the other two voices. Figuring she would not be dealing with the guests, she turned back to her story and resumed writing only to stop a minute later when she heard a knock at her bedroom door.  
"Yes? Who is it?", Edna called.  
"It's me, Amy", a female voice on the other side of the wooden barrier replied. "Can I come in?"  
"Uh, sure", Edna responded, baffled as to why Amy would want to speak with her. But a moment later, when the older woman had already entered her room, she remembered she was a psychologist. Now she could imagine why Amy would want to talk to her. Good one, Tina, a very ingenious move, Edna thought somewhat irked. She kind of – no, definitely – preferred her housemate when she asked little to no questions.  
"What can I do for you?", Edna asked, pretending to not have figured out why a psychologist was in her room. Whether Amy realized this or not, she could not tell.  
"Anika told me you haven't left your room for a week", Amy said without preamble. "And Tina also told me of your strange behavior you showed over the last week. Did anything happen between the sleepover and today? Is your crush perhaps in relationship with another woman? Or is it something else entirely?"  
The only answer Edna gave her was a shaking of her head when Amy asked if the Key Master was involved with another woman. Other than that, the girl who was once stuck in a padded cell defiantly turned her back to her visitor. She stared out to the darkening sky beyond her window and wished she would be outside to watch the sunset.  
"Edna please, we're all worried about you", Amy calmly but also worriedly stated. "We want to help you but you need to tell us what happened."  
If Edna would be looking at Amy right now, she would see how her eyes suddenly widened. But the comforting hand on her shoulder was hard to miss.  
"You weren't raped, were you?"  
It took all of Edna's willpower to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. Where did Amy get an idea like this? If that had been the case, she would have gone to the police to press charges and also to the gynecologist. Rape was something she considered as bad as Doctor Marcel's therapy methods. The last things she needed were sexually transmitted infections and a child growing in her womb. Sure, there was no guarantee that one or both of those would not have occurred. But it did not mean it was impossible if she had had a sexual encounter, which she had not.  
"What gave you this idea?", Edna asked incredulously.  
"Thought it could be since you refuse to tell us what is wrong. So, I just thought you were raped and are too ashamed to say anything", Amy replied.  
"Hate to disappoint you but this is as true as anything that's coming out of a politician's mouth", Edna retorted.  
"I see... were you perhaps traumatized by witnessing a murder taking place? Or were you nearly killed?"  
Amy did not seem to be giving up. Nonetheless, Edna remained with her back turned to Amy, never moving a muscle or saying anything. Amy tried other theories, ranging from Edna being bullied to something ridiculous as watching every horror movie that had been released since 1911 in one single night. The psychologist eventually gave up, being out of ideas. With a word of good bye, she left Edna's bedroom. Edna waited for a minute after she heard the door close before she crept towards it and quietly opened it so that she could look into the living room with one eye. She could see Amy from behind talking to the three current human beings of the living room.  
"She's more stubborn than a donkey", she heard Amy say. "I couldn't get anything out of her. Well, actually I did get something out of her."  
"And what was it?", that was Gregor's voice.  
"It's not about the man she is crushing on having someone else to love and she wasn't raped either."  
"I guess we should be relieved it's neither of those", Edna recognized Anika's voice. "Though we hadn't thought of the rape theory... at least I didn't."  
"Me neither", Edna heard Tina admit. Quietly, she closed her bedroom door and went back to her laptop, where she resumed her writing of her story of the beautiful warrior princess and her comrades and their battle against injustice, slavery, intolerance, poverty and an evil empire. Sometimes, she considered writing a crossover with this and _Amazonian Space Girl_ but she was getting ahead of herself. If she were to write two different stories at once, she might get confused and use one relevant plot point of one story in the other by accident. No wonder why novel authors usually had somebody who would go over the novel and point out any mistakes before it would be printed and published. Edna paused her writing and leaned back, shaking her head. She was once again getting ahead of herself. Besides, this was more of a hobby at the moment; she would seriously consider publication when the story was finished and she was satisfied with it... and she thought of a cool pen name.  
"Edna, why don't you just tell the police or Doctor Marcel where the Key Master is hiding out?", Harvey suddenly asked. Edna stared at her oldest friend with a mixture of bafflement and disbelief.  
"One, why are you starting with this again? Two, why now? Four, are you ever gonna stop asking this? Five, where was three?", Edna counter-questioned. She sighed and added: "But to answer your question, I just can't bring myself to..."  
"But he would be behind bars if you tell the police that he was the murderer of that old man and then, we can finally go outside again", Harvey retorted.  
"I know but I still can't... The thought of him behind bars depresses me...", Edna spoke the last part in an inaudible voice. Her sad eyes wandered from Harvey to her lap and she hung her head. No matter how mad she was at the Key Master at the moment, she certainly did not want anything to happen to him.

* * *

Tina, Anika, Bianca and Sebastian met again three days later, but this time with Gregor joining them and in the park. Tina filled Anika in on what happened after she left the marketplace, which Tina forgot to do when the half-African visited her the same evening, along with her sister and boyfriend.  
"So, you really think a party might be what Edna needed?", Anika questioned, apparently unconvinced.  
"Maybe she just needs to let herself go, let her hair down. You know, with loud music, lots of dancing and causing mayhem", Bianca replied. "Those are all things Edna likes but hadn't been to enjoy them in a long time. By the way –" She looked quizzically at the others "– when was the last time she could enjoy those?"  
Her question as met with a collective look of puzzlement and frowns. None of them could say for sure when Edna had last been able to have her music blaring from the stereo or wreak havoc.  
"Well, I have my doubts it could work but I guess it's worth a shot", Anika said doubtfully. Gregor took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, while he smiled comfortingly at her.  
"Anything to see her happy again, right?", the pale young man commented, to which all the others nodded in agreement. "Still, do you have any ideas what to do if this plan fails?"  
"No", Tina admitted with a shake of her head. "But I guess we would do anything to get our old Edna back."  
It was just not the same to meet with each other without Edna's company. Sure, she usually declined meeting Tina's friends from school whenever she was seeing them but this was not as bad as cutting herself off from the outside world. The times when one of them would tell her they were going for a swim or to a funfair, anything, and they would invite her along with her usually agreeing seemed so far in the past. They all knew it was just a week but it felt more like years. Each one of them was aware of how much Edna was looking forward to summer vacation and now she was wasting it away all alone in her room.  
"Well, she still has Harvey keeping her company...", Tina mumbled her comment.  
"Harvey? Wasn't that this ugly rag doll rabbit?", Sebastian responded.  
"Don't let her hear you calling him 'ugly'", Tina warned the young boy.  
"Tina, he's a toy, he can't keep her any real company", Bianca said, rolling her eyes.  
"But he's her most precious possession and I'm sure she won't have it if anyone described Harvey as ugly", the blond argued.  
"Guys, I thought we wanted to find a way to cheer Edna up and not talk about her rag doll rabbit", Gregor pointed out in a somewhat bored voice. Frankly, he did not care what they all thought about the lagomorph toy. This was something that only concerned Edna and if she saw her toy as her best friend, so be it. But what was really important was that they would not lose sight of the matter at hand. Tina, Bianca and Sebastian knew he was right, so they, along with Anika, huddled together to discuss what else they could do for Edna. But as they spoke, they realized that they had attempted all of their ideas over the course of last week and the only other plan they could think of seemed to be impossible. None of them knew how to call a dead person from the afterlife to their realm and have them talk with Edna. Anyone who was close friends with Edna knew about the losses she had endured in her childhood, which was the reason why Tina, who knew her out of all of them best, suggested they should talk to the dead. It was Bianca who pointed out that the plan was impossible to go through with. So, they were back at where they started.

* * *

Unknown to the five friends, the reason why Edna refused to go outside happened to be nearby, listening to them. The Key Master had not seen Edna since she figured out that he was the murderer but he had figured she would have gone on with life like normal, albeit without her daily visit to him. It was only now that he learned the extent if what he had done. He had spent a lot of time with her over the last month and had gotten to know her quite well but the thought of her isolating herself from everyone else for a longer period of time... Why had he not told her the truth? Maybe, just maybe her reaction would not be as depressingly bad. The Key Master considered going to see Edna but an announcement from the chubby blond young woman dressed in a turquoise shirt and blue jeans made him reconsider.  
"Well, I should be going home now. See y'all", she said before heading towards home. The Key Master decided he would be talking to Edna on another day. It might be better if he would just go home now. He was furious at himself for letting things turn out the way they did. He was a danger to his environment. He had to get away from the public, from Edna's friends. She was already mad at him for killing a man who harassed her. One could only imagine her rage if he were responsible for the death of her friends. That was why he had to return to his hideout. At the moment, he was still able to keep a cool head but he did not know for how long. So, the Key Master walked the path home, appearing calm, relaxed and tranquil, as casual as the citizens of this town, on the outside. On the inside, however, his emotions were running wildly, worse than a bunch of scared chickens. Each step he took was another step closer to safety but he was also losing more and more of his control. The trees were starting to thin out, he was almost there. But it did not matter; his emotions had caught up with him. All the anger, rage and sadness he felt surged through his body, momentarily taking control of his limbs.  
"Damn! Damn! Damn!", the Key Master cursed, punching a tree with each 'damn'. He was almost out of the forest when he hit a tree with the arm that never got healed from being broken with all his might. The result was him crying out as he felt unbearable pain shooting up his arm after a particularly hard punch.  
The pain brought the Key Master, who was now back in the house, back to his senses but it also seemed his pain had increased tenfold. He currently sat on his bed, cradling his injured arm while trying to ignore the pain that seemed to eliminate all of his other feelings and perceptions. How could he let his emotions take control over him like this, with such an overwhelming force he rarely experienced? But the Key Master already knew the answer even before he finished asking himself the question. He chased his only friend away, lost the only person who willingly spent their time with him. It was his own fault that Edna isolated herself from everyone else. He had to set things right with her... and treat his injured arm. Biting his bottom lip, the Key Master stood up and walked to his closet, opening it. He took the tie as this was the only thing he could use as a makeshift sling for his arm. However, he had nothing he could use to put his arm in a splint, except maybe the rotten wood of the old furniture; if only they were not a little too big. He guessed he had to live with what he had and use only one arm for the time being. This is going to be fun, the Key Master thought in annoyance and lay down on his bed. His day was just getting better and better.

* * *

While the Key Master suffered, Edna as dealing with another problem. Tina had lent her a PlayStation Portable along with a game and a spare Memory Card and, in an attempt to forget about the Key Master, the young woman busied herself with playing the handheld console. So far, her attempt seemed to work since she was more furious at the boss she was battling against than at her green-skinned friend. Perhaps it would have been wiser if she had equipped more Ice-type Materia before the battle and not just the one she had with her. Or she should have fought more random encounters to level up. Still, she liked the game so far; it was not ridiculously easy and the main character was likeable. But she still had to get used to the battle system and the whole thing with elemental advantages and disadvantages. At least she figured out the boss she fighting against was getting healed by Fire and was weak to Ice.  
"Damn!", she cursed after the boss defeated her. Fortunately, she had saved not long before the battle, so she just turned the handheld off and put it on her bedside table.  
"Giving up already?", Harvey asked teasingly.  
"No, I just need a break. My hand hurts", Edna responded, massaging her wrists. Then she reached out to take her mother's diary from her bedside table. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she opened the book to a page that began in April of 1988. Judging from what her mother had written all those years ago, she was getting close to the day of her wedding. If she was not mistaken, she was also getting close to the date Mattis started to keep a diary. Edna stood up and walked over to her drawers where she kept his leather diary. She took it and opened it to check the date; it was the twenty-first of May. Edna closed it but chose to take it with her instead of putting it back in the drawer. She made the decision to read both diaries simultaneously once she reached the same date in Vivian's. So, she went back to her bed, sat cross-legged on the mattress and now began reading. She currently read about Vivian's shopping tour with her mother and sister and two friends for a wedding dress, accessories and shoes. Edna wondered if she got married in white, despite not being innocent anymore. If she thought about it, she only knew of white wedding dresses but not of any other color... Oh, except for two instances. One was an episode of _Star Trek: The Next Generation_ , when Miles O'Brien married Keiko – she wore a rosé kimono. The other was in the movie _Beetlejuice_ , where a character almost got married in a red wedding dress. Well, marry in red, you would be better off dead... Edna kept reading about the daily life of Vivian Rohrbeck from more than twenty-five years ago until she reached one important entry:

 _May 20th, 1988_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today is the day! Today is my wedding day. It will be a small wedding, with only our closest friends and family. We didn't want an enormous party with countless faces we won't probably recognize. After Mattis proposed, I didn't think we would be getting married not even half a year later but I'm not complaining. I mean, why wait for many months or even years if you're sure about tying the knot? We are completely sure about this and the preparations went along swimmingly, so I see no point in waiting for an eternity. Besides, it's too late to call off the wedding._

 _This was my last entry as Vivian Rohrbeck. Next time I open this diary, I will have a new last name. I'm so excited!_

Nothing more was written on that day. Edna figured she was too busy celebrating her wedding with friends and family and then alone with Mattis. She could imagine what they did, even if it was something she did not want to imagine. Honestly, what was it with Vivian and describing her intimate relations in great detail? This was a diary and not erotic literature. Still, there could be worse things – like not telling me you killed a man despite telling me you stopped murdering ages ago, Edna thought bitterly at the Key Master, even though he could neither hear nor read her thoughts. Her heart suddenly ached for a brief moment as she thought about this man. She did not want to admit it to herself but she was missing him. She had grown accustomed to his face, to seeing him almost every day that it was hard for her to not be thinking of him. She tried to forget about him but he always crept back in her mind as if he lived there. A part of her wanted to go out and see him but another was too scared to see him and perhaps learning he committed another horrible deed. Edna kind of wished she could just switch off her feelings for him and go on with her life. But she could not let go of the past. She had to cling to her past to learn her heritage and her identity. Without it, she would have no idea what her future might bring her. She could only be sure if she had both her past and present. Not wanting to think about this any more, she turned her attention back to the lavender blue diary:

 _May 21st, 1988_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _This here is my first entry as Vivian Konrad. Mattis and I got married yesterday. It was the best day of my life. I just can't describe how happy I am! We're going to live in his house, with my parents and sister living not too far away. I'm glad we stay in this village here, I had a happy childhood here and I hope our future kids will have a happy childhood, too. But we are going to wait before try for a child (or more). First, we just want to enjoy our togetherness._

Edna could not prevent her face from making a skeptical expression. Wait until they would go for a child? Seeing what their favorite hobby was, it seemed that they could not wait to have one or ten. Opting not to dwell on this too much, she took Mattis's diary and opened the page of the first entry:

 _May 21st, 1988_

 _Well, this is my first entry in this diary. Vivian had gotten it for me but I don't really know what to write in here. Except maybe that I got married to Vivian yesterday. I've never seen anyone more beautiful than her, both in looks and personality._

The next entries were about them getting adjusted to married life and living together in Mattis's house with its Spartan furnishings. Vivian took furniture of her old room when she moved, while it was up to Mattis to buy new interior, though it soon became apparent that he as a horrible interior designer. That explains a lot, Edna thought to herself with a smirk. She recalled the mismatched furniture and the lack of electric lamps in some rooms as if she had been in the house of her childhood days only the day before. Her bedroom seemed to be the only room in the whole house that seemed to be modern, by Nineties standard. Still, the eight years she lived there had been happy years for the most part, just like her mother wished. It was a pity that no one took care of it after it was abandoned by force and it therefore decayed. When Edna broke out of the asylum, she had hopes of living in her childhood home with Mattis once she found evidence that would have exonerated him. But alas, her hope diminished when she found his grave on the cemetery and was completely gone by the time she found out the truth, confronted Doctor Marcel, and had to flee the police.  
A sudden knock on the door startled her and pulled her out of her reverie.  
"Yes? Come in", Edna called after having recovered from the unexpected surprise. She watched how the door handle was pressed down on the other side and the door was pushed open by Tina.  
"You don't have anything planned on Friday, do you? Oh, what am I asking? You don't have anything planned", she rambled, not really giving Edna a chance to reply to her question.  
"And what makes you say that?", the former inmate of an asylum inquired with a raised eyebrow.  
"Really, Edna? You're still asking this when you haven't left the house for a week?", Tina responded dryly. "I'm only asking because we're going to have a party at Bianca's house on Friday and we want you to join in."  
Edna was about to decline but then she reconsidered; the party was supposed to take place at a friend's house, a location a certain someone she did not want to see did not know of. Perhaps she should say yes; she was in need of a change of scenery after all.  
"I will think about it", Edna eventually replied, noting that Tina seemed to be glad she was not saying no.  
"That is all I'm asking of you", Tina said with a tiny smile on her round face. "Well, I leave you to your now stuff now."  
With that, she was gone and Edna only had Harvey for company.

* * *

"She really didn't say no?"  
"That's already the second time you asked me this, Gregor. She said she will think about it."  
It was around noon the day after the Key Master injured his arm. He was in the park at the moment, albeit without the tie as a sling for his arm, and overheard a conversation between two of Edna's friends. Hearing that she thought about going to a party after having isolated herself for a week made him glad. Maybe it meant she had gotten over the fact he had not told her of what he had done.  
"Anyway, my lunch break is almost over. See ya", Tina departed with these words. As far as the Key Master knew, Edna would be alone at home at the moment. Perhaps a visit to check on her was in order...  
Shortly after the Key Master made the decision of going to see her, he found himself the elevator riding up to her apartment. He hoped she would be willing to listen and find it in her heart to forgive him. He reached the intended floor and made his way to the door behind which Edna and her housemate's domain lay. At first, he thought about using the key Edna had given to him but opted to use the doorbell instead, the memory of last time he had used the key and invited himself in was still fresh in his mind. So he rang the bell and waited, ringing again after not receiving any response a few minutes later. Edna answered the door at last, her face changing from mild curiosity to a frown.  
"What do you want?"  
"I want to speak with you. Can I come in?"  
She rolled her eyes and stepped aside, indicating with one arm for him to enter the apartment, though he could see it in her face that she rather would not have him in her humble abode. The Key Master walked past her as he stepped into the apartment. He heard her closing the door and then saw Edna heading for the living room, waving at him to follow her. He did so, stopping in the middle of said room. She, however, walked a few more steps and only stopped behind a chair, which seemed to act as her shield. While supporting her arms on the chair, she eyed him with a mixture of mistrust and fear. He guessed he could hardly blame her, considering his past. But she seemed to be willing to listen to him and that was what mattered to him at the moment.  
"What do you want?", she asked again, a little harsh.  
"I want to ask for your forgiveness", the Key Master answered right away, his eyes never leaving hers. Edna seemed to be taken aback by the question, judging from the slight widening of her eyes and the blink one usually did when being surprised. Her eyes darted around the room in an obvious attempt to avoid answering. The Key Master wished she would just answer and not waste any time. Then she looked back at him, or rather the arm he was cradling, with a worried face.  
"What's wrong with your arm?", she questioned.  
"Do you remember how I told that, after you pushed me down the railing in that church all those years ago, I broke my arm and since I couldn't possibly march to a hospital without being recognized, it could never really heal?", the Key Master asked. After the young woman nodded, he added: "Well, I had a little accident yesterday that seemed to have injured my arm again."  
He saw sympathy flashing in Edna's eyes as she slowly and hesitantly approached him with one of her arm outstretched. She touched his injured arm with fingers as light as a feather. Normally, he welcomed her touch but this time, he visibly flinched.  
"Sorry", she apologized. She dropped her hand and she scrutinized him with a frown on her face. "My friend Anika knows a lot about medicine and such and she is about to study medicine in university. I think she could help you."  
"Do you really think she would do that?", the Key Master retorted skeptically.  
"I really do think so", Edna confirmed. "I would just need to ask her."  
"Then do so", he responded. He watched her nodding determinedly and leaving the living room through the door that led to her room. He wandered around the living room while he waited for her return. He skimmed the titles of the movie collection, noting there were a lot of movies he knew or at least heard of and there were also quite a number of motion pictures he had never heard of. Some of the latter were rather peculiar, like the one with a dead girl as a bride or a rat in a restaurant. There were also four pirate movies, which seemed to be a series. Then he walked away from the movie collection and admired the decorations. On the walls hung several pictures, almost each of them was drawn or painted – most likely by the two occupants of this apartment. The only picture that was neither painted nor drawn was a black and white picture of Audrey Hepburn in her role as Holly Golightly from _Breakfast At Tiffany's_. The Key Master could hear Edna's voice drifting from her room to the living room. What she was saying, the Key Master could not tell since she kept her voice low. He kept wandering around, remaining only in these four walls, never going to any of the other room. He figured Edna would prefer if he would stay where she left him. Maybe not exactly the same spot but the same room. The voice drifting from beyond the open door stopped talking and, a moment later, Edna reappeared.  
"Anika's on her way", Edna said. "She'll be here in a few minutes."  
The Key Master nodded in acknowledgment.  
"I still have a question, though. Aren't you going to tell me to take a seat or offer me something to drink?"  
He wanted to lighten the mood, something he rarely, if ever, did. But he felt he could make an exception for her, even if he only got a tiny smile out of her. After all, he did think she looked better if the corners of her mouth were turned upwards. A thin straight line for a mouth or its corners pointing downward just did not suit her. However, all he managed was for her to roll her eyes and indicate at the chairs standing by the dinner table.  
"Please, take a seat", she invited him with a sarcastic undertone. "Would the gentleman care for a drink?"  
Edna added a fake British accent to her sarcastic undertone when she made the offer. The Key Master remembered vividly how she produced either a menu or a dirty cocktail glass, which was probably filled with the Stinkydrink, and asked exactly the same question, albeit without the sarcasm in her voice.  
"A glass of water, please", the Key Master replied and sat down on one of the chairs. He heard Edna's footsteps as she went to retrieve a glass of water while he carefully set his injured arm on the table. The moment his limb rested on the hard, wooden surface, he wished he had something soft to lessen the pain, or painkillers.  
"Here's your water", Edna said emotionlessly and placed the glass in front of him. He thanked her before taking a sip. Edna made no move or noise to acknowledge his words. All she did was to move away from the table and, while he followed her every movement with his ocular organs, sat on the couch. It was quiet inside these four walls, so quiet that the Key Master could, if he listened closely, hear a heated discussion of two neighbors one floor downstairs. Apparently the male neighbor had washed the white garments of his wife with his red briefs and now all her white clothes were pink. The Key Master could not prevent a smirk appearing on his face. No wonder why it was usually the women who did the housework, even though they did not have to do so. There were times when he wondered if men only deliberately acted stupid just so the woman can do all the housework. His memory of his mother and of his girlfriend and how scary they could be had returned a long time ago, so he would never pretend to be less intelligent than he was. It would have only ended in injuries worse than the state of his arm. Besides, it would be an insult to himself if he were to act stupid.  
The door bell suddenly disturbed the silence throughout the apartment, startling both occupants. Edna jumped up and rushed out to the hallway. The Key Master decided to remain where he was; it would only be a matter of minutes before he would meet the "doctor". He was unsure of letting a future student in the fields of medicine treat him but he guessed it could be worse. As long as this Anika would not reveal anything about him, he supposed he was alright with her patching him up. Edna returned a few minutes later, with a tall, slim, and dark skinned woman holding a bag in tow.  
"That's him", Edna stated, nodding towards the Key Master.  
"So, that's your friend", she pronounced the word weirdly and gave Edna an even weirder look, "you've been talking about so often. Well, let's see what I can do without the use of an X-Ray. Really, why can't we take him to the hospital again?"  
"Just treat him, alright?", Edna demanded brusquely. The Key Master noticed Anika rolling her eyes before she began treating him. Since she had no access to an X-Ray, she could only make diagnoses based on touching and looking at his arm. She asked questions, like when and how he broke his arm. She did not attempt to hide her astonishment when he revealed he broke it after falling from a high place and had not gone to a doctor immediately but instead simply rested his arm for several weeks. Even Edna was flabbergasted at this, though he had told her about this. She probably forgot for a moment. Anika continued with her examination in silence.  
"Well, consider yourself lucky", she began. "Despite your previous injury and the fact that you were foolish enough to not go to a doctor, your break is not so bad. In fact, no surgery is required; you just have to wear a sling on your arm and rest. Oh, and cool it off with ice."  
"I will. Thanks, doctor", the Key Master replied calmly.  
"Still, I would feel more at ease if you were to go to a hospital. And if someone would take care of you", Anika looked pointedly at Edna.  
"Alright, I'll do it", Edna relented, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. The way she said it, she might as well have said "if I have to". Nonetheless, Anika smiled in satisfaction before beginning to put the Key Master's arm in a sling and splint. While she was busy treating him, she instructed Edna to get some ice for him. He watched her leaving the room, not sure if she would feel comfortable with being alone with someone, who was a total stranger to him.  
"So, how long have you known Edna?", Anika asked in an attempt to start a conversation.  
"A few years", the Key Master said vaguely. He did not have the urge to converse with a stranger but he nevertheless decided to answer her question. A vague answer like that would cause no harm.  
"She doesn't seem to be very fond of you at the moment, does she?"  
"We had a fight the other day..."  
Anika stopped treating his arm and looked up with a frown. There was something in her eyes that told him she suspected something.  
"Is that why she's been acting so strange lately? Because you had a fight?", she inquired.  
"How has she been acting?", the Key Master asked, deciding it was one of the rare times he was better off acting stupid. He could imagine she would inquire why he had not come and join their conversation if he told her he overheard her and her friends.  
"She spends the majority of her time in her room, all alone, and only comes out to use the bathroom or to get something to eat. She doesn't come to work, though Tina had arranged that she has her days off. She's lucky that our boss is her housemate's uncle, otherwise she could have kissed her job good bye a long time ago", Anika counted off, hissing like a snake and looking as dangerous. She jabbed her index finger into the shoulder of his intact arm and added in a hiss: "I don't care what it is about, but you two better reconcile, ASAP! Geddit?"  
"Yes", he answered, not being intimidated by her threatening look and voice. He was aware of this himself but he knew he could not force Edna to make up with him. This circumstance was something that needed its time before one could willingly forgive the other.  
"Sorry for the wait. Couldn't find the ice bag at first", Edna apologized when she came rushing into the room, holding the aforementioned item.  
"Just put it on his arm", Anika instructed. She took her bag and looked from Edna to the Key Master and back. "Well, if that's all, I should better be going now. Oh Edna, can I talk to you for a sec? Alone?"

* * *

Confused why her friend wanted to speak with her tête-à-tête, Edna gave one nod in answer. She led Anika outside to the hallway, where she started speaking without preamble:  
"He's the one you're crushing on, isn't he?"  
"Uh", was all a perplexed Edna could get out before being interrupted by her friend:  
"And he's also the reason why you've been so depressed lately. Listen, he told me you two had a fight and, frankly, I don't know what the reason for your fight is, but I want you two to kiss and make up. It just can't go on like this."  
Edna was about to snort. She could almost hear Harvey belittling Anika's demand. What did she expect? That she could forgive a murderer so easily, as if he accidentally broke a vase instead of maliciously ending a man's life? As Edna thought about this, she took a glance back to the living room, where the Key Master still sat at the dinner table. She had forgiven him once before and that was for a lot more murders while she was now unwilling to forgive him for one single murder. If she was honest, a small part of her was missing him and yet, she could not bring herself to forgive him. At least not yet.  
"I'll be going now. Tell your friend it was a pleasure to meet him", Anika said and left with a friendly word of departure. Edna idly wondered if she ever realized she had never asked the Key Master for his name. She would probably realize this the next day at latest, Edna figured as she made her way back to the living room. A sigh made its way up her throat and out of her mouth upon setting her eyes at her male visitor. She could not describe how she felt being his nurse until he got better. At least it was not the kind of broken arm that would require surgery, so it would not be so bad, no matter what her thoughts or feelings were. She guessed she could live being a nurse; it was only temporary, after all.  
"Well, um, is there anything you need?", she hesitatingly asked. The Key Master, whose eyes had been silently wandering around the room, gazed at Edna as though he only just noticed her presence. Edna felt uncomfortable; it was like she was trying to sneak past a guard and he spotted her at the last second.  
"Something to eat, perhaps. I am quite hungry, you know", he calmly replied. A loud rumbling noise, like the growling of a beast, came from his stomach to verify his statement. Edna could not prevent a grin forming on her face. There was something funny about his stomach grumbling, though she could not explain what.  
"I think starving would be a more appropriate term", she commented, still grinning.  
"I suppose you're right, Princess", the Key Master acknowledged. "I did eat the rest of my provisions just a few days ago."  
Edna's grin faded:  
"You mean to tell me you haven't eaten anything for a few days?"  
"That's correct", the Key Master confirmed. A mix if bafflement and sympathy flashed across Edna's face the second she felt these two emotions in the pit of her stomach.  
"I get you something to eat", she said quietly, about to head for the kitchen before she reconsidered. She glanced at the Key Master, imagining he was most likely bored just sitting there. She went to the shelf and took a random, English-language book.  
"Here, so you won't have to sit and stare holes in the air", she said and placed the small book in front of the Key Master.  
"Thanks", he said, taking it. That was when Edna went to the kitchen. Looking around, she opted to heat up spaghetti leftover from lunch the day before. At least that was something he could eat with one hand. While she heated up the food, she simultaneously made sandwiches for her visitor, so that he would have new provisions in his hideout. Every now and then, she stirred the spaghetti and the sauce until both was well done. Edna took two plates from the cupboard and filled one with spaghetti and tomato sauce; the rest, intended for her, ended up in the second plate. Then she returned to the living room with both plates and forks in her hands. The Key Master still sat, of course, in the same chair she had left him in. His eyes were down and slowly moving from left to right. Edna noticed he was reading the book she had given to him when she placed the plate in front of him.  
"Thanks, Princess", he said, moving the book away and moving the plate closer to him. Edna nodded in acknowledgement while sitting down opposite of him.  
About twenty minutes later, Edna was back in the kitchen. The used plates and forks lay in the sink; she was too lazy to wash them. Right now, she was busy making more sandwiches for the Key Master; the finished ones were all wrapped in aluminum foil. The foil reminded her of Aluman. Last time she had seen him, he was struck by lightning. She wondered if he ever recovered from that incident. A moment later, she decided she made enough sandwiches and wrapped the final one in aluminum foil. Edna took a plastic bag from a cupboard, where all of the sandwiches ended up in.  
"I must be crazy", she mumbled to herself, shaking her head. Here she was, not wanting to have anything to do with the Key Master but nonetheless helping him. Sighing at herself, she returned to the living room with the bag in hand.  
"Is there anything else you could need?", she questioned, standing at the dinner table.  
"Now that you mention it, Princess, I've got only very little of drinking water left", the Key Master replied, looking up from the book. He took it with his healthy arm and waved it around. "Do you mind if I borrow this?"  
"It's Tina's but I'm sure she wouldn't mind as long as it's intact when you give it back", Edna replied. She was a little surprised; she had not expected he would want to finish reading a book that was not in their native language. Perhaps he needed something different than fairytales, she reckoned, or he wanted to improve his English, albeit without a dictionary.  
"You can call me many things", the Key Master started – like 'hot', Edna thought involuntarily – and put the book back on the table, "but you can't call me 'book ripper'."  
"Well, alright", she said. "As for your water, I'm going to bring you home first, go to town to buy you two six packs of small bottles of water and bring them to you."  
"And why not while you're taking me home?", the Key Master asked confused.  
"Well, I would but this bag here", she held it up, "is already too heavy for me and since you're busy keeping the ice bag on your injured arm, I would have to carry everything. That way, it would be easier for me."  
"Alright... when do we go?"  
"Any time you're ready."  
The Key Master closed the book and stood up, saying:  
"Well, I think I've intruded on you long enough. I would suggest we go now."  
Edna felt relief surging through her body. Her emotions simply could not decide whether to let her feel happiness or fear with him sitting in the four walls she lived in. The only thing she was sure of was the sympathy she felt for him – and her pounding heart. Maybe if he were not in close proximity, she would be able to sort out her feelings.  
"Then let's go", Edna said, taking and pocketing the book.

Nothing happened on the way to the Key Master's hideout and later, when she bought small bottles of drinking water for him. While she was away, he put the sandwiches in the ice box and was still in the middle of doing so when Edna returned.  
"Let me help you", she offered and, without waiting for an answer, took the bag that was still filled with sandwiches and quickly put them all in the ice box.  
"There", she said satisfied and closed the box. She stood up and stretched herself. It felt weird to be outside again after having spent a week only in her room. Then she looked at the Key Master:  
"Well, I'll be seeing you tomorrow. I said I would take care of you, so I will."  
Edna was about to leave when the Key Master half-said, half-shouted for her to wait. The young woman, who was already at the doorway, stopped and turned around with furrowed eyebrows.  
"Why are you helping me? You don't seem to be that fond of me to be doing that", the Key Master inquired, walking closer to her. Edna sighed.  
"Listen, no matter what I think or feel about you, I didn't like seeing you suffering", she replied. "That's why I called Anika; I knew she would be able to help you. She is about to study medicine after all, and she knows a lot about injuries and the like. Besides, she will want to check up on you in a few days and if she learns, I didn't take care of you, I'll be injured in an 'accident', she will be the one to take care of me and 'incidentally' forget the Hippocratic Oath."  
She made quotation marks with her fingers when she said the words "accident" and "incidentally".  
"Anyway, is that all? Or is there something else on your mind?"  
"Just one more thing... I said earlier I wanted your forgiveness. Is it too soon to be asking for it?"  
Edna frowned and averted her eyes, staring at a chair leg with glassy eyes. Was it really too soon to forgive him? A part of her wanted to welcome him back with open arms, another part of her – one that sounds an awfully lot like Harvey – told her to forget about him. Even if she wanted to forgive him, there was still doubt nagging at her in the back of her mind. Why had he not told her the truth when he still had the chance? Why did she have to find it out the hard way? Oh, how much she had hated him that moment and the following days. But most of all, she was disappointed. Disappointed that he apparently did not trust her. She told herself that she hated him but she knew that was a lie. Maybe a tiny part of her did – one that had slowly started to vanish over the week. But the fear was still there, even though she really missed him.  
"I... I think I have to hate you for a little while longer", Edna said in a tiny voice, still staring at the chair leg. "Good bye."  
And so she went home.


	17. Some Things Should Better Be Left Undisc

**Chapter Seventeen**

 **Some Things Should Better Be Left Undiscovered**

Summer. A time to relax, a time for fun and doing things one could rarely do at any other time of the year. One of these things was going on vacation, whether within the own country's borders or abroad. On this fine summer day, a little girl was about to go on her very first vacation. Only she was still fast asleep in her bed; it was not even six o'clock yet. However, she would be gently pulled out of the land of dreams in a few minutes' time. The door of her bedroom silently opened and, with feather light footsteps, her adoptive mother entered the room. On the wall, above the bed, hung countless embroidery, all of them made by the little girl sleeping peacefully. These embroideries were not the most beautiful or handsome, in fact the oldest ones were only crosses and lines but it was easy to see that she was slowly but surely improving.  
"Lilli", her adoptive mother softly whispered, gently shaking her. "It's time to wake up."  
She fluttered her blue eyes open, looking groggily at Susan's kind face. The girl covered her mouth as one huge yawn escaped.  
"Breakfast is ready, come down to eat", Susan told her daughter. "We'll be off in an hour and a half."  
She left the room as her daughter sat up. Lilli needed a moment to fully wake up; she was not used to be getting up this early when it was not a school day. She yawned once again before getting up and taking a look at herself in her mirror. Not happy with the way her blond hair looked, she tried to tame it with her hands. It was not much but it was better than nothing and she would be taking a shower after breakfast. So, she put on her slippers and went downstairs to the kitchen, where her adoptive parents were already eating.  
"Good morning, Lilli", Stefan greeted the little girl, looking up from his newspaper. Lilli gave her words of greetings and sat down. She filled a pink bowl with cereals and milk while her mother made her a mug of steaming hot chocolate. She opted to let the hot brown liquid cool off for a few minutes, if she would drink from it now, she would just burn her tongue. She usually preferred her hot chocolate to be cooled off but still warm, though she would rather have cold milk mixed with cocoa powder in summer. Normally, Lilli was not very fond of hot drinks in the hottest time of the year but her mother always forgot this. Still, Susan meant it well and Lilli could not be mad at her.  
Ninety minutes later, after having consumed their breakfast and having taken care of their personal hygiene, the small family sat in the trailer and drove north in the direction of Denmark. They had already packed their stuff the day before, so it did not take long for them all to get ready. Stefan and Susan were in the front, with the former driving, while Lilli was in the back, taking a nap. She was still tired and since the ride was quite long, she opted to return to the land of dreams.

* * *

At exactly the same moment, two employees of Doctor Marcel stood in his office under his penetrating, one-eyed glare. Neither of the two knew why they were in this room and not where they were supposed to be. But whatever the reason, the doctor looked so mad that he might as well be a Basilisk, considering the way he was glaring at them.  
"Why", he began in a low growl, "have you two incompetent fools not caught Edna yet? You know where she is and if you use Anes's anesthetic darts, you'd have no problems catching her."  
"We couldn't catch her yet because of our inconvenient working hours, boss", René replied. "If we and Bladder could just get a day off, we could –"  
"I can't afford to give you a few days off. Not until Anes has returned from his vacation with his wife!", Doctor Marcel snapped, hitting his desktop with his fist. René and Babbitt flinched. Their boss groaned and turned his wheelchair around, so that we would not have to look at those two incompetent fools but at the landscape instead. Why were they his most trusted minions again? Oh yes, these two would not ask any questions when he gave them an order and they would actually execute it. Others would ask question or not do the task they had been given or both. Doctor Marcel would long be jail because of his questionable therapy methods, especially those regarding children, if he did not have so much influence around here... and his son Ruben, who got him out of jail. Unfortunately, the police officer who got him arrested still worked in this village. Doctor Marcel had tried to get him fired or to get stationed somewhere else, at least. But apparently, this particular policeman was needed here. If only he, Doctor Horatio Marcel, could get his hands on him, he would make sure he would never get out of this asylum ever! Same would go to Edna and that little girl he hypnotized a few years ago, this Lilli. Only if all those responsible for his current misfortune in life were locked in padded cells, he would be happy.  
"Uh boss?", Babbitt spoke up. Doctor Marcel grunted in response. "Does it mean we get a day off when Anes gets back?"  
"Yes", the old man growled. "And you two can go now."  
He heard René and Babbitt leaving his office. Did they not realize they could just drove to Edna's location before or after work, depending on when their shift started? They knew where she lived and who she was friends with and they had access to the anesthetic darts Anes created; it should not be so difficult. René, Babbitt and Bladder surely could afford sacrificing a few hours of their free time to get Edna, or her friend. But perhaps it would be better to wait until Anes was back; he was the only one who was actually competent. He would not even be on vacation if his wife had not bothered him so much that it was their fifth wedding anniversary and that they should do something special. Neither Doctor Marcel nor Anes could understand why a married couple would want to celebrate the day they tied the knot. The doctor remembered, vividly in fact, how it was like when Mattis and Vivian, when she was still alive, had their anniversary. He had to keep watch on little Edna while they were out for dinner, a task he only reluctantly did. It only got worse when Alfred came to live with him and he was forced to have the two children under the same roof that particular evening. Never had it been any louder in his house. Fortunately, it stopped about two or three years after Alfred moved in with him when Vivian was murdered. It was a pity the murderer did not manage to get to Edna and that Mattis was not home at the time. Otherwise, all of Doctor Marcel's problem would be gone or nonexistent.

* * *

Edna, unaware of Doctor Marcel's plan, leaned back in her chair, saving her file with a satisfied smile on her face. She had kept her word and taken care of the Key Master and she had started going to work again. At first, Tina and everyone else, bar Anika, were surprised she was going out again, until Anika explained the situation. Edna recalled the day her half-African friend treated the Key Master's arm. She had been too lazy to wash the used dishes, which led to a rather awkward conversation with Tina.  
"Two plates? Did you have a visitor, maybe your crush, here?", Tina had asked.  
"Hey, I didn't even know he would be coming over", Edna had defended herself. This had led to her housemate trying to find out what actually occurred. The young woman with purple hair had refused to say anything but Tina had found it out the following day, thanks to Anika.  
Her relationship with the Key Master was slowly but surely getting back to the way it was before, though there was still a barrier between them. However, she had realized she felt much better if she saw him at least once a day. She did not know if it was because she had a crush on him or she wanted to be assured he had not been caught by the authorities yet or because she was afraid he would do somebody in again. Her friends were glad she was not isolating herself anymore, even if it was only because she had to take care of the Key Master. His arm was healing quite well; maybe he would not need her in a few days' time. For some reason, the thought both cheered and saddened Edna. Was she so accustomed to his face that she could not bear not seeing him? But she had to get used to the thought that she would not be seeing him everyday. He was going to flee the country sooner or later and the sooner she got used to not seeing his dark green eyes, the better. Even if she would miss him immensely and she knew she would. Still, before she could distance herself from him, she had to keep playing nurse.  
"Come on, Harv, we have a patient to take care of", Edna said after she turned her laptop off. No response from her lagomporph friend. She swiveled around and frowned at him in confusion. "Harvey?"  
"You have to take care of him, not me", he retorted defiantly. "For all I care, he could hole up and die piteously."  
"Harvey!", Edna exclaimed indignantly. "How can you say this!?"  
"It's not me who's thinking this, it's you. Remember, I am a figment of your imagination, a projection from your subconscious", Harvey explained. "Therefore, a part of you is actually thinking this."  
No, it could not be true. The last thing she ever wanted to happen to anyone was for him to suffer a slow, painful death... or death in general. But even as she thought about this, she realized there was still a part of her – that sounded a lot like Harvey – that hated the Key Master. Could she ever get over this? She had to get out of here, fast. So, she shut her laptop, picked up her bag and without further ado, without sparing another glance at Harvey, she was out.  
This was probably a new record for Edna, having arrived at the Key Master's hideout in less than thirty minutes after she left. Did she want to see him so much, so desperately, or did she just want to get away from Harvey as fast as possible or was it a combination of both? Whatever the reason, she was here, right in front of the door that led into the four walls that the Key Master called his temporary home. She inhaled and exhaled deeply and knocked. A moment later, she gained the permission to enter, thus she stepped into the house, where she found him lying on his bed.  
"What? Still asleep at this hour?", Edna made a half-hearted attempt to tease him but the things Harvey told her still did not leave her mind. The Key Master seemed to sense there was something on her mind, for he got up and walked over to her, putting his healthy arm on her shoulder.  
"What's on your mind?", he asked, green eyes meeting purple. Edna averted her eyes and bit her bottom lip. Should she really tell him? He would most likely hate her even more than she did him... Why did a part of her subconscious still loathe him? Why was it so difficult to just forgive him? He had never asked for forgiveness since the day he came to her apartment but she knew he was hoping she would say she would forgive him.  
"I... I can't tell you", Edna replied, worry and sadness layering her voice. "I just can't bring myself to tell you. At least not yet. I hope you understand me..."  
"I do understand you", the Key Master admitted. Edna stared at him, open-mouthed and her eyes becoming even larger than they already were. The Key Master went on to explain: "I wanted to tell you of what I did but I couldn't bring myself to. Every time we were together, you were in such a good mood or worried about your own things that I could not find it in my heart to tell you this."  
Edna was astounded. It would have been better if she had just stayed and listened to him instead of running away. She felt really bad for overreacting the way she did – she blamed her period, which she got only two days later, for her reaction.  
"Sorry", she apologized in a tiny voice, bowing her head.  
"For what?", the Key Master asked, sounding genuinely confused.  
"For the way I reacted when I found the tie..."  
She felt the pressure of his hand on her shoulder increase slightly as he gave her a squeeze. She never expected him to be understanding. Was that really the same man she met in the asylum all those years ago? The same condescending, sarcastic man who did not care how urgent and important it was for her to find evidence that could exonerate her father? What made him change? Was it because he was not confined in a solitary cell anymore? Edna knew she would feel like that, she did feel like that, in fact, for she also spent years in solitary confinement. It was easier to be understanding and not be so sarcastic when one did not have to expect therapies that were not likely to work. Speaking of which, what kind of therapies did he have to go through? It had to be something involving his memories, this was the only reason she could think of why he could not remember certain things about himself. She was the same but started to remember because of Harvey and because she visited locations of her childhood. Also, she was sure she would regain more memories the more she read in Mattis's diary. Edna figured it was kind of the same with the man, whose hand attached to his uninjured arm was on her shoulder. He could have, whether intentionally or unintentionally, gone to places he had been at over the course of his life and that awakened his memory. But why could the Key Master still not remember his name? Her own name was among the first things she remembered when she woke up in her cell. Was there something blocking his memories? A trauma perhaps? Were the memories so close and yet so far, like an object behind safety glass – visible but unreachable?  
"It's in the past, Princess, we can't change that", the Key Master stood up straight. "But when are you planning to help me get dressed? Or should I walk around in pajamas all day long?"  
There was not much for Edna to do to help him out. The only things he needed assistance with were things he needed both arms for, like changing his clothes. Edna had no problem helping him to get a shirt on or off but helping him with anything below his upper body made her feel awkward. She was lucky the only thing she had to do was to button his pants and fasten his belt; he was perfectly capable of putting them on and off and fastening and unfastening the zipper on his own. If she had to do this too, she doubted her face would ever regain its normal color.  
"How's your arm?", Edna asked after she helped the Key Master getting dressed.  
"It's much better, it doesn't hurt as much anymore", he replied while opening the ice box and taking out the ice bag.  
"Anika mentioned she would like to check up on you tomorrow", Edna announced, watching him closing the box and putting the ice on his injured arm. "She would be coming over to my place around three in the afternoon. If you want to, you can spend the day in mine and Tina's apartment and, I dunno, watch some movies or whatever you like."  
The Key Master raised his eyebrow at her.  
"I'm surprised you allow me to spend a day in your humble abode. Last time I was there, I did not get the impression you wanted me there", he commented.  
"Well, people can change their minds", Edna replied with a shrug.  
"Only if you could recommend a good movie then and have some snacks available", the pale green-skinned man answered. "I've been missing the latter in particular whenever I watched a movie at your place."  
"I think I can arrange that. Uh, popcorn or chips? And would the gentleman also like a drink?", Edna put on a British accent upon asking the last question. She somehow thought it was appropriate, seeing that the butler of some rich man in fictional works was almost always British, regardless of their employers' nationality. Now that she thought about this, why were most butlers British? Was there somewhere in Great Britain a butler factory? If so, where exactly was it? And who did all the maintenance? Who adjusted all the settings? Would they repair the butlers if they were to malfunction? What about those who kill their employer? This would be happening sooner or later because it was always either the butler or the gardener.  
"I take whatever you can get", the Key Master's voice stopped her train of thought. For a split second, Edna was confused what he meant before she recalled her question.  
"Okay, but no complaints, mister", she replied, poking his chest with her index finger.  
"Do you really think I would be that picky? I would be glad if I could eat a larger variety of food. At least sandwiches are better than spiders and moths", he said, with a slight sarcastic note in his voice.  
"I never know whether you're serious about having eaten spiders and moths or not", Edna commented dryly.  
"I haven't, Princess", the Key Master assured her. "Though there is the possibility that I might haven eaten some, more than once in my life, in my sleep. You do know that humans eat thousands of little insects and such in their sleep, don't you?"  
"Yeah, sounds very appetizing..."  
"Yes. Yes, it does."

Late in the evening, almost night time, found Edna back home in her room, sitting at her laptop once again. Like all the previous days, she kept working on her story. A lot had come together over time; she had the main character, her love interest, her companion, the villain, and a rough story outline. The refinements would come in time; it was not like she had a schedule to keep. Besides, it was a fun hobby to distract herself from the serious on goings out there in the real world. The world could be a much better place if people would just loosen up and stop declaring wars for stupid reasons. Could the Earth not be more like in _Star Trek_ , where people had overcome their greed and lust for power, where there was no more poverty and starvation and maladies had been defeated? A world like that sounded much better to Edna than a world full of greed and hate and war. But _Star Trek_ took place in the far future; therefore the only way for her to experience the Earth like in the shows would be to time travel. If only she had a DeLorean, then she would retry her failed weather experiment that she attempted in the convent school a few years back.  
The sound of a fist hitting wood resonated through her room, startling Edna out of her thoughts. She glanced towards the door and, already knowing who it could be, replied:  
"Come in."  
Just as she suspected, it was Tina who knocked at her door.  
"Is it true what I heard from Anika?", she questioned, leaning against the doorframe.  
"Could you elaborate, please? I can neither confirm nor deny anything Anika said when I don't even know what she said", Edna pointed out.  
"I mean that she's gonna do a check up on your crush here in this apartment", Tina elaborated as requested. "Why can't juicy things like that one happen when I'm around? I'd like to meet him too, y'know."  
"First, yes it's true. Second, what's so juicy about this? Third, I thought you would be home tomorrow at three", the girl who once spent ten years stuck in a solitary cell with padded walls responded.  
"Normally yes, but I've got a dentist appointment around that time and afterwards, I'm helping Bianca with the preparations for the party", her housemate explained.  
"Huh? I thought it was cancelled?"  
"Nope, it only got another date."  
The party that was supposed to cheer Edna up was supposed to have occurred two days ago but had to cancel it for that night because Luca had his friends over and the trip he and his parents and grandmother were going to make would actually be happening the following week. Edna thought they would cancel the party altogether since she was not that depressed anymore but she was kind of glad they were not.  
"D'you reckon you could ask your friend if he could join us at the party?", Tina asked. Edna thought about this, recalling the Key Master's reaction when she played loud music with an organ and an electric guitar. He was yelling at her that it was unbearable and to shut it off. But was it because he genuinely disliked this kind of music or was he just annoyed because he needed silence to mull things over?  
"I suppose I could ask him but I can't guarantee he would be joining us", she replied.  
"Well, that's acceptable", Tina shrugged. She tilted her head, looking at Edna with a curious expression on her face. "Have you told him yet?"  
"Told him what?"  
"About your feelings for him. He won't be single forever and what if he finds a girlfriend and you never told him?", Tina stretched out her arm and stared straight ahead with a somber expression and spoke in a dramatic voice: "And you will just sit there, wondering what might have been. Wondering if it could have been you being kissed by him passionately instead of the other girl? Wondering if there was a chance you'd be having an intimate moment with him and not the other girl? Wond'rin' and wond'rin' all because you never told him..."  
Edna, whose face has taken a deep red color when Tina mentioned the parts with the kissing and intimate moment, stared dumbfounded at her housemate. She felt like her brain stopped working. This was all ludicrous and Edna did not hesitate to tell her so.  
"Oh? You really think so?", Tina asked, having dropped her ridiculous pose and face. "Just you wait, Edna Konrad, just you wait. You'll be sorry but your tears will be too late."  
"But there is also the possibility that your prediction won't come true", Edna said. "And what if I tell him and he doesn't reciprocate my feelings? What do I do then?"  
"Move on, I guess. The worst he could say is that he doesn't feel the same way and doesn't want to ever see you again", Tina said in a voice full of calmness and seriousness. "But nothing could change and you two remain friends."  
Tina swiveled around and, without looking back, added:  
"Carpe diem, Edna. Oh, and –" She turned her head to glimpse at Edna. "– I bought two packs of chips. Hope you're okay with the flavors."  
Edna nodded in acknowledgement and watched her housemate leaving her room, closing the door behind her. Alone once again, she leaned against the back of her chair and stared up to the ceiling. Ever since Tina learned that she, Edna, was crushing on someone, she had not stopped trying to convince her to admit her feeling for him. Edna guessed she watched too many movies. Still, there was some truth in what her housemate had said. There was no reason for her to not tell the Key Master how she really felt, except maybe that she still had not quite forgiven him. She could really need an advice from her mother...  
"Why are emotions so complicated?", Edna muttered to herself. "If life forms, whether humanoid or animal, are supposed to preserve the species by reproduction, then why is it so difficult for humans to have a relationship?"  
"Don't know but I know you can preserve your species with a man other than the Key Master", Harvey commented, speaking for the first time since that morning. Edna turned to look at her blue rabbit:  
"Harv, one can't control who they fall for. Besides, I'm not even ready to have kids yet", she sighed and turned away, now looking at the laptop screen. "I don't even know if I want any..."  
She heard Harvey saying something but did not listen. Her attention was back to the story. However, she found she was not in the mood to write anything at the moment and thus, she saved and turned her laptop off. She changed into her pajamas, took her parents' diaries and made herself comfortable in bed. As always, Edna opened Vivian's diary first and read an entry, then took Mattis's diary and read the entry for the same day. It went on like this for at least an hour until she noticed there several days were missing in Vivian's diary. The last date was the seventeenth of September, where Vivian mentioned going on a car trip with her parents and sister, but the next one was almost a week later, on the twenty-third. Puzzled as to why there were several days missing when she meticulously wrote in it every day, Edna took her father's diary to check if the dates were missing too. They were not but the entries were quite short. The one dated on the seventeenth of September was just a mention of the trip Vivian and family were making and he could not join because of work. The next two days were only about his regret of not having joined them but the one on the twentieth gave Edna a shock:

 _September 20th, 1988_

 _I got a call from the hospital. Vivian, Angelina, Raphael and Maria were involved in a car accident. A drunken driver crashed his car right into theirs. The drunkard died at the crash site but, luckily, Vivian and her family were still alive, though in a critical condition. I'll be going to the hospital now; I hope they all are going to survive..._

Edna could already see where this was going and she really did not like it. Nonetheless, she read the next few entries, hoping her premonition was wrong.

 _September 21st, 1988_

 _Raphael, Angelina and Maria didn't survive... Maria died shortly after I was informed of the crash, her parents died after receiving surgery. Only Vivian is still alive, albeit in a coma. Please, let her live..._

Edna hung her head in sadness, finally knowing why she never met her aunt and maternal grandparents. She lost a part of her family before she was even born, all because of some drunken driver. Why did so many people have the urge to out drink each other and drive a vehicle when they were not in the state to tell the differences between lions, tigers and bears? Edna was incapable of understanding this. She did not mind the occasional glass of alcoholic beverage herself but she knew her limits, though she did step a toe over it once or twice. At least she would never drive when drunk, she liked being alive and well a little too much to die and be injured.

Edna resumed reading. Her father mentioned that Vivian woke up from the coma and that the doctors told him she would be fine in a few days. Maybe physically but emotionally, the healing process would take much longer... Edna could relate to how her mother was feeling at the time; it had taken for her a long time to accept that her father was really dead as was Alfred and that she was responsible for both their deaths. Still, even after her acceptance of their passing, she could not get over this. She often thought about how her life would have turned but if they were still alive. Edna had overheard her father saying she and Alfred would make a great couple the day the latter died. Perhaps he would have been right and it did come true in a parallel universe or nothing serious would have developed between them and they would have remained nothing more but close friends. Anything could have happened if she had never pushed him down the stairs and all she could do was to either speculate the what-ifs and might have beens or not to think about it at all and, at the moment, she would rather do the latter.

 _September 22nd, 1988_

 _Vivian has been released from the hospital; she rarely spoke since the day of the car crash. I can't blame her; she lost her whole family in just a few short hours. I hope that things will get better soon..._

Edna spent the rest of the evening and night reading about Vivian's emotional well-being and how she and Mattis slowly got back to their everyday life and how they mourned the deaths of Raphael, Angelina and Maria.

* * *

It was the following day, around early afternoon. A few hours ago, Edna had gone to the Key Master and picked him up. Now he sat in her living room, reading a _Captain Useless_ comic. She sat across from him, also with a comic in hand and staring quietly and sadly at the panels as though they were telling her a depressing story. Every so often, the Key Master would glance at her in concern. She certainly was not like this the day before when he had last seen her. Something must have happened since then but what? He could say for sure it had nothing to do with him, as far as he knew.  
"Edna?", he decided to question her about her sudden return of her depressive state. She moved her eyes up from the comic panels to meet his. "What's troubling you?"  
The young woman looked away again, not saying a single word. She just sat there like a sad statue. The Key Master was close to thinking she was one if he would not see her breathing. Was she like this too the days following her discovery of his being the culprit of the murder of Helmut Diener? The Key Master watched her suddenly getting up and pacing around the room. She had her arms crossed under her chest and her eyes cast downwards. He noticed her brows were furrowed as if she was contemplating something.  
"Do you know what's it like to discover you might have some relatives, like an aunt or grandparents, left in this world only to learn that they shuffled off their mortal coils because of some stupid drunkard?", she asked angrily in a choked voice, her back turned to him. The Key Master had a hunch what she was talking about. During the countless hours they spent together, she mentioned at least once or thrice her aunt and maternal grandparents she never met and her intention of finding them. Well, it seemed this was not necessary anymore...  
"You lost them in a car crash...", he stated in a low voice. No wonder Edna was depressed. Who would not be if their last glimmer of hope was gone just like that?  
"Long before I was even born!", Edna confirmed in an exclamation. She let herself drop on the couch and then fell on her side, so that the Key Master could not see her from his current position. He stood up and walked around, finding her lying in fetal position and staring straight ahead to the empty television screen.  
"Tell me one thing", Edna requested, gazing in his direction, "why did you commit the murder the other day?"  
"He said some things that made me snap and caused me to act uncontrollably", the Key Master confessed. Upon seeing the confusion in Edna's face, he elaborated: "Last time you let me spent the night here, I went home early the next morning, remember? On my way, I happened to walk past one of that guy's whores' house just when he was leaving. I didn't want to have anything to do with him but he thought it would be a good idea to join me and talk about women like they were only good for sex."  
"And that's why you killed him?"  
"It made me angry enough to punch him and to rip off his balls but not angry enough to kill him. It was only when he mentioned you and his intention of having you join his ranks of whores that made me snap. It was like I wasn't myself anymore; I had no control over me. By the time I realized what I was doing, he was already as dead as a doornail..."  
He noticed that Edna, who was staring at him with large eyes, had her jaw dropped. Slowly, she stood up and walked, like a sleepwalker or zombie, towards him.  
"So, you basically killed him to save my honor?", she questioned.  
"Pretty much."  
The Key Master could see in her face that she wanted to say something about this, maybe reprimand him. But she was only able to open her mouth without the chance to utter a single syllable when she heard the doorbell ring.  
"Uh, is it already three o'clock?", she wondered aloud. The Key Master, having no watch and therefore not knowing the time, shrugged. He watched Edna checking the time in her phone, which she carried in her pocket, and heard her mumble it was half past two.  
"Maybe Anika decided to come early..."  
Edna left the room to let the still unknown guest enter her humble abode. The Key Master, meanwhile, decided to sit down at the dinner table again and waited for her return. He returned to reading the comic but he barely registered the words or panels. He thought about his conversation with Edna from a few minutes ago. Her reaction upon learning why he killed a man was, frankly, unreadable as though she did not want to show any emotions. Perhaps she still had to digest this new piece of information. The Key Master opted to give her time and not bring up this topic for a while... least of all now, since she returned with Anika in tow.  
"Let's see how the patient is doing."  
She took a seat next to the Key Master and removed his sling before examining his arm with a critical look on her face – Edna did not stay in the living room. She moved her hands around his arm, humming to herself in such a way that it fit perfectly to the face she was making. Her touch still hurt him but not as much as it did when she first examined him. If anything, the pain was more like the kind of pain one briefly felt when they bumped against a table.  
"Hm, from what I can tell, it's almost healed. Just a few more days – five I would say –and you can remove the sling", Anika stated a few minutes later. "Do some exercises with your arm, five minutes per day and increase the amount as days pass. But don't overexert yourself."  
"Alright, thanks", that was all the Key Master said in reply; he did not know what else to say to her. After all, this was only the second time he met her and he was still unsure about her. However, from what he could have gathered, Anika seemed to be a splendid friend to Edna; one who would help her and her other friends, no questions asked. He was quite grateful for that.

* * *

Edna had retreated to her room to mull things over after she led Anika to the living room and to the Key Master. Ever since he mentioned why he committed the murder of Helmut Diener, she could not stop thinking about what he said. He did it to prevent that she would end up as some old guy's slut but was there not another way? If she was honest with herself, she was glad she was spared such a life. Still, she would feel much better if the Key Master had solved the problem differently. The thought that another life had ended because of her was unnerving. Why did death seem to follow her around? What was she, an angel of death? Why could she not be the goddess of fun and joy? Or an Incan goddess? It would certainly be a position she would prefer, just as long as it did not involve death. Edna did not know how long she lay on her bed, except that Anika apparently was still not done examining the patient – Edna knew this because she peeked into the living room. Feeling bored but not in the mood for writing, she took out her sketch-pad and pencil and just started drawing while sitting in tailor-fashion on her bed. Her pencil glided across the white surface, leaving a gray trace that indicated its path. At first, the lines seemed to be random and noncontiguous but over time, it took shape and form. An unexpected knock startled Edna out of her reverie, accidentally causing her to draw line she did not need for her picture.  
"Come in!", she called while erasing the line. She glanced up when the door opened to see the Key Master and Anika enter her room.  
"I'll be going home now. See you at the party, unless my medical knowledge is required again", the latter said. "Bye, you two lovebirds."  
So, Anika left, ignoring Edna's indignantly calling her name and the Key Master raising his eyebrows at her.  
"What did she mean with lovebirds?", the Key Master questioned. It is something that should be translated as 'I want you to kill me, Edna', the young woman thought fumingly. However, out loud she said, somewhat wearily:  
"Nothing, it was just her being silly..."  
"I'm surprised, Edna, I thought you like silliness", the Key Master commented.  
"Not that kind, though", she replied, having gone back to drawing. "By the way, are you planning to cool your heels? Take a seat."  
She nodded towards her chair in front of her desk. She watched the Key Master walking towards it and sitting down. Once he sat with his derrière on the chair, she went back to her picture, though she was somewhere else with her mind. This was her chance; Anika mentioned the party and, since she and all her other friends would really like to meet the Key Master; this was a great opportunity for her, Edna, to ask. She felt his eyes on her, his green, penetrating ocular organs watching her every movement.  
"Something on your mind?", Edna questioned, looking straight at her guest.  
"Just wondering what you're drawing", he replied with a shrug.  
"Dunno myself... By the way, about the party Anika just mentioned..."  
"Yes, what about it?"  
"Would... would you like to come along and meet my friends?"  
"I'm not sure, Princess. I was actually planning to have a quiet night as long as my arm's still injured. When is the party anyway?"  
"It's on Friday."  
"I might have said yes if it was to be held be at a later day but in this case, I have to say no. I'm not sure if it's wise to go to a party with an injured arm."  
Edna sighed. She should have known he would say no and yet, at the same time, she could not blame him. She had her fair share of injuries and even a broken bone or two in her childhood. Dangerous escapades like jumping from trees or digging pitfalls that she would hide so good that even she would fall in them were the kinds of things she liked doing in her childhood and usually received an injury. Not that she ever learned her lesson, seeing that she kept doing those things as soon as she was healed. She always had too much fun doing hazardous things, especially if they involved hurting Alfred. Although, it usually ended with her either being locked in the basement or in her own room. Mattis really was not the best when it was about disciplining her. There were times when Edna felt a bit of loathing surging through her body whenever he locked her in the basement or in her room without actually telling her what she did wrong. The fleeting feeling was soon gone and they were usually on good terms when she was allowed to go outside again. Still, Mattis's methods for raising her were not the best but she reckoned it was better than going through a character correction, even if he threatened her with it. Doctor Marcel did try to use his method on her after she ended up in his custody but Edna had her doubts that her father really wanted this to happen. If anything, she reckoned he just threatened her with it to get her to change her behavior on her own accord.  
"Yeah, I guess I can't blame you. Believe it or not, I was the same when I was severely injured when I was little; never did anything it could make it worse until it's healed", Edna grinned in a mix of amusement and nostalgia. "Never learned my lesson, though."  
The Key Master chortled.  
"You were really a wild child, weren't you?", he asked, clearly amused, to which Edna only gave a broad smile in response. "I bet you drove people up the walls."  
"Oh yes, intentionally in case of Doctor Marcel and Alfred, unintentionally for my father... most of the time", she confirmed, though not as broadly grinning anymore. She closed her sketch-pad and leaned against the window sill. "Mattis kept trying to discipline me but even I can tell the way he went about this... I mean, if you had a child and they would misbehave, would you lock them up without telling them what they did wrong?"  
"I guess not, I'd tell them they shouldn't behave like this if they didn't want to be grounded", the Key Master agreed with her. "Still, the way you're usually talking about your father, you must have really adored him."  
"Oh yes, I did. He was a good man; he just didn't know how to raise someone like me. I... I guess it's easier to be dating a lively woman than raising one...", Edna contemplated out loud. "At least, I think I come more after my mother..."  
"Well, I can't quite tell. Never had a child, I was too young for one when I got in the asylum", the Key Master commented. "And, I don't even quite know how I would raise them if I had one..."  
"Me neither", Edna admitted. "And I forgot why we were talking about children..."  
She lied; she remembered quite well why they had this topic. It was just that she felt awkward talking about this with a man she had feelings for as if they were actually planning to have an offspring.  
"We were talking about your childhood", the Key Master casually reminded her. "But we can talk about something else if you'd like to."  
"I would certainly prefer it... Say, how did you even get your nickname?"  
Ever since Petra first mentioned his name, she had been wondering how he got a nickname like that. From what Edna could tell, though, he received his nickname from the other inmates, seeing that he said to her he was called 'the Key Master'.  
"It's just because I can copy any key perfectly after having seen one only once, nothing special", he answered in a dismissive voice. "And, as long as I have something small like a pin, I can pick any lock. Like you, I tried to escape several times before but was caught too. Most of the time, I tried to alone, to no avail, but I had some assistance as well. Unfortunately, they weren't exactly Einstein or Stephen Hawking. There was one, however, who almost managed to get me and himself out. It was him who gave me the nickname."  
"What happened to him?", Edna, who listened attentively, questioned. She saw him opening his mouth to articulate an answer, only no words came out. His neutral expression turned into one of puzzlement as his eyes wandered around the room.  
"I can't seem to remember", he admitted. "Doctor Marcel must have erased this from my memories..."  
"What would he gain from doing this? But still, you knew an awful lot about the asylum despite being subjected to memory erasure", Edna remarked. "Unless you were subjected to it far less than I was."  
"If I remember correctly, the last time this happened before we fled the institution had been several months before", the Key Master pondered aloud. "Maybe that's why I knew a lot but not everything."  
"And unless we find something that could trigger your memory, you will regain them either very slowly or not at all...", Edna sighed. She decided to change the subject: "How about we go out for a walk and then, I bring you home?"  
"Well, okay..."  
Both stood up. As always, Edna took her rucksack with her. She took a brief glance at Harvey before deciding that she can listen to his deprecation about her relationship with the Key Master later. Instead, she packed a book and lot of _Captain Useless_ comics. Thus, both members of the species Homo sapiens left the room and the apartment without a blue lagomorph made of terry cloth.

* * *

The Key Master and Edna strolled down the street next to each other. He had the hand of his uninjured arm in his pocket while she was holding the straps of her rucksack on her shoulder. No words were said for neither knew what to say.  
"Can I ask you a question?", Edna suddenly spoke up when they arrived at the edge of the forest.  
"Obviously, you already did that. But fire away", the Key Master replied, looking expectantly and curiously at her. They entered the woods. The trees blocked out most of the sunlight but since they were still not that deep in the forest, it was more like a green-tinted golden light shone upon them. Here and there were a few golden specks of light radiated through the trees.  
"After you killed the reverend, you locked me and yourself in the church, like you exchanged one prison for the other... why? Why did you do that? I thought you wanted freedom...", Edna trailed off as she watched a bird flying to its nest. The Key Master followed the bird with his eyes while trying to think of why he did that. At that time, he had not been thinking clearly that night and therefore, it was difficult for him to answer Edna's question.  
"I... I don't know, to be honest", he replied after several minutes. "I reckon I was mad at myself because the first thing I did after our escape was to murder an innocent person... and I guess I was also mad at you for letting me out..."  
"You already know why I let you out but I also thought it would be unfair if I flee while I abandon the person who helped me to rot in his cell", Edna admitted. She watched the bird fly away before looking at the green-skinned man. "But you knew how important it was to me to find evidence that would exonerate my father. Besides, sooner or later somebody would have come to the church and they might have had a key. And what would they have found if they managed to gain entrance? Two escaped loonies, as far as they were concerned, and a corpse dangling from the church bell. We both would have ended up back in the asylum or in prison, maybe a high-security one at that."  
"You may be right, Princess, but I was too enraged to care back then", the Key Master responded as they got deeper into the forest. It got gradually darker and, therefore, cooler. The path was harder to see but not invisible, thanks to the bit of sunlight illuminating the way. Not that they needed the path that bad; they both walked it so often they could go down the path with their eyes closed.  
"It was only long after you pushed me off the railing and left me there when I began to cool down, though it did took a while", he continued speaking. "But even when I was still furious, I couldn't quite blame you. I think I would have done the same if our roles had been reversed."  
"At least we both are still free, in a manner of speaking", Edna commented. The Key Master stared at her in confusion and voiced his confusion:  
"What do you mean with 'in a manner of speaking'?"  
"Well, you see for yourself no way to fit in society, even if you do try to, and I can't stop blaming myself for the deaths of Alfred and Mattis", Edna explained. "It doesn't sound like real freedom to me."  
The Key Master had to admit that she was right. He would always be on the run from the law, he would always risk being recognized or caught. Chances of him starting a normal life were slimmer than the bones of his fingers. As for Edna, as long as she blamed herself for the demise of two important people in her life, she would never be truly free. But he guessed she was unable to forgive herself if she did not know whether her friend and her father would forgive her or not. Funny how one could seem free but were actually not. Would they ever achieve real freedom, no strings attached? He looked at Edna and thought back of the first time he met her. He was alone in his cell when he suddenly had the feeling that someone was looking at him. When he turned to see if there really was someone, he saw this young woman with those large eyes and the dark purple hair hanging lifelessly from her head. Normally, he could not have cared less but there was something different about her. Everyone else, who looked upon him, had their eyes filled with either loathing or fear or a mix of both. However, it was completely different with her; her eyes showed curiosity, fascination, confusion and the determination to escape this institution. There was a lively fire burning in her ocular organs like he had not seen in years. Thus, he approached the glass and spoke to her. Never in his life would the Key Master have imagined that he would come to care for this young woman so much that he could not see himself without her in his life.  
It was not long until they arrived at his hideout. He opened the front door and stepped aside to let Edna enter first before he followed her in. Edna took the book – _Treasure Island_ by Robert Louis Stevenson – and the _Captain Useless_ comics out of her rucksack and placed them on the table.  
"Well... I guess I better go now...", Edna said in a quiet voice after she closed her rucksack. She started to head out when the Key Master called for her:  
"Edna, wait!"  
She stopped walking and swiveled around, looking expectantly at him.  
"I... would like to know if you, well, if you have forgiven me yet", he said, somewhat lamely. He mentally beat himself for the stupid way he articulated the question, almost missing the sadness in Edna's eyes when she averted them.  
"I... I don't know..."  
Before he could say another word, she rushed out of the door. The Key Master sighed and leaned against the closet, shaking his head.

* * *

No one was in the apartment when Edna returned, which she was grateful for. If Tina would be around, she would most likely ask questions about the Key Master and Edna was not exactly in the mood to be answering questions. It was infuriating; she could be gone all day long and Tina would ask no questions but as soon as the topic of conversation was the opposite sex, she could be worse than a mother hen. It was like Tina saw her friends' romantic relationships as a real life telenovela, albeit without the cheesy moments every five minutes. The only thing missing was another girl competing for the Key Master's affection. Edna considered herself lucky she had no rival in this case, although she kept thinking about what Tina told her. Just because the Key Master was single at the moment did it not mean he would remain so forever and since he planned to leave the country, it was very likely he would end up with a girlfriend. For all Edna knew, he could be married when she would meet him again a few years after he had gone abroad. The thought saddened her and yet, his wanting to leave the country was the reason she could not bring herself to tell him that she had forgiven him and what she felt for him. It was like a vicious cycle...  
"Well, how was it with your Romeo?", Harvey questioned with a mix of sarcasm and venom in his voice after Edna threw herself on her bed. She furrowed her eyebrows at him, not liking the way he said his question. In fact, she found the tone Harvey used when he spoke of the Key Master concerning. He did not even sound like this when he mocked Alfred. What was it that made Harvey hate the Key Master so much? Was it because she, Edna, had feelings for him? Or was it something else? Perhaps he represented the part of her that despised the Key Master's psychotic, murdering side?  
"Harv... won't you ever stop talking about the Key Master as if he were Doctor Marcel? What has he done to you?", Edna inquired.  
"He's a psycho! He would not hesitate to murder you! And he's taking you away from me!", Harvey exclaimed, flailing his arms around.  
"Woah, calm down, little buddy", she tried to pacify her blue rag doll rabbit. "If the Key Master wanted to kill me, he had plenty of opportunities. He's not taking me away from you, neither by my demise nor through any other way. But if you keep behaving like this, you're gonna lose me through none other fault but your own."  
This left Harvey silent for once. Edna left him to think about this and reached for the two diaries and kept reading them, in hopes Vivian's entries would soon regain their cheerful mood. So far, they had the vibe as if she was in a catatonic state, alive but not really living. Edna could not blame Mattis for being worried that she might commit suicide. Perhaps Vivian would have really done it if it were not for her husband. She mentioned, more than once, that Mattis was the only reason worth living for. However, around late summer, early Fall the year following the car crash, Vivian noted nausea, especially in the morning, and the feeling that she could just keep eating and eating when she was not busy throwing up.

 _September 13th, 1989_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _The day didn't start well for me at all. I had to throw up once again this morning and I was almost late at work because I needed so long for breakfast. Fortunately, Mattis drove me to the kindergarten; otherwise my boss would have a reason to chew me out. However, this was not all, I kept feeling dizzy and nearly passed out while the little ones had their nap. My colleague, Denise, suggested I should see a doctor. Well, I heeded her words and went to the hospital. I didn't think I would feel this happy after the car crash a year ago. I am pregnant! Mattis was ecstatic when he heard this! He's already making plans to refurnish one of the rooms into a nursery._

A smile adorned Edna's face upon reading this entry. The thought that she made her parents happy again just by being a fetus in her mother's womb filled her with joy. They deserved some happiness after all that happened the previous year. If only things had remained as joyous as they were at that moment. But Edna knew it did not last, everything would get a turn for the worse in just a few years... Just what did her family wrong to deserve one gruesome fate after the other? From what she could tell, her parents were good people and while she was not the easiest the kid to bring up, there still was a chance for her to change... if only she had gotten the opportunity.

A few days passed since Edna read the entry about her mother's pregnancy. It was the day of the party, which was going to start in the evening. Of course, Tina had asked her if the Key Master would be there too, only to be disappointed that she would not meet the man who stole Edna's heart. The comment left Edna with a face like a tomato. The Key Master had not asked her for forgiveness again, although she was aware he was about to more than once. She could imagine how he must be feeling; not knowing if a person he cared about would ever forgive him. She would tell him after the party, she doubted she could bring herself to say it yet. But it was more like she was delaying the inevitable. At least Edna made the decision to go to the Key Master and tell him that she had forgiven him. Still, she was not sure if she could ever confess him her feelings for him. Perhaps only when she knew he would reciprocate them and even then, only when she knew they could have a future together. If she thought about it, her restrictions and conditions sounded more like excuses to not to confess to him. Maybe she and the Key Master should be locked in a room and not get out until she told him everything she wanted to tell him.  
"I certainly wouldn't be able to escape him...", Edna mumbled to herself while erasing the unneeded lines from her picture. It was the same drawing she started a few days ago, when the Key Master told her the reason why he committed the murder. When she first started drawing this picture, she had no idea what it would be but now, she realized it was a drawing of herself in his arms. Was her subconscious – the part that did not sound like Harvey – trying to tell her that this was where she wanted to be or even belonged to? Edna opted not to think too much about it, everything would make sense sooner or later. Besides, Tina just called that lunch will served in a minute and, boy, was Edna hungry! She set her things aside and went out to the living room, where her housemate was currently setting the table for two, though the plates were still missing.  
"Hiya, Edna", Tina greeted the younger woman. "Could you please put the Schnitzels from the pan onto the plates?"  
"Sure", Edna nodded and did what her housemate requested. The Schnitzels were East German Jägerschnitzel, one of the few things Edna knew Tina liked from the time Germany was still separated. Tina appeared right after Edna placed the meat on the plates. Instead of returning to the living room, she opted to wait here until the blond filled their plates with French fries, cucumber salad and ketchup. Each girl carried their respective plate back to the living room and happily munched their lunch while watching _WALL●E_.

* * *

At the same time, the Key Master was eating lunch too, albeit his consisted of sandwiches and nothing else. He was getting sick of only eating those every day but without a refrigerator and oven, he did not have much to choose from. He was lucky enough that Edna bought him an ice box; otherwise his food would spoil much faster. There was one thing the Key Master was sure of when he started a new life abroad, he would not eat sandwiches for several years, maybe even for the rest of his life. He would have one big meal with pancakes, roast beef, potatoes, sausages, cake and thousand other things he had not eaten for over a decade. He really needed to stop thinking about this; it would only make his stomach grumble like one giant, ferocious beast. The only times he could eat other things was when he had the opportunity to sleep at Edna's place. But he had his doubts it would happen soon, not as long as she was still disappointed in him. The Key Master had already asked her twice for forgiveness and both times, she had this sad look in her eyes, as if she wanted to but could not for some reason. Whatever it was, he would find out, even if it meant he had to force her.  
He finished his sandwich and washed it down with a swig of water. He wiped his mouth dry with the back of his hand. With his stomach full but not quite satisfied, he walked over to the drawers and got the clay figure he had been working on out. Once it stood safely on the table, he took his brushes, then the paint and, finally, a cup. He went outside and filled the cup with water. Back inside, he sat down on his chair and gave his clay sculpture color. The Key Master had wanted to finish it for ages but was not in the mood to after he injured his arm. But since he had nothing else to do and his arm was in a much better shape now, he decided finish the first clay figure he ever made. He worked hard on it, even if it was not the best and not instantly recognizable. However, should one look at it for a longer time period, they would notice it resembled an owl.

* * *

"Edna, come on! It's time to go! The party's going to start soon!"  
It was evening, Edna and Tina were about to go... if only the former were not so busy staring and frowning at herself in the mirror in the bathroom. Tina had done her best to primp her for the party and Edna was not used to the person who stared right back at her from the other side of the mirror. Her hair was up in a ponytail, with a few curly strands framing her face. She wore purple lipstick and eye shadow and Tina had painted her nails purple too. The clothes she wore were a purple shirt with bare shoulders, underneath a black tank top and a black leather skirt with black, high-heeled boots. Two questions ran through Edna's mind: One, how was she supposed to dance in those boots? And two, what would the Key Master think if he saw her like this? She had always been content with her look but seeing herself like this, she found herself liking this look, even if it scared her a little. Still, she already knew she would not walk around like this every day. She decided then and there that she would only clean herself up that nicely for special occasions; otherwise it would lose its effect of leaving others slack-jawed. Edna took one deep breath and left the bathroom to see Tina tapping her foot impatiently.  
"About time", she commented, a little annoyed. Her expression changed into a smile immediately afterwards. "You look magnificent, marvelous, and gorgeous and a whole lot of other adjectives. It's a pity your man won't be seeing you like this."  
Edna agreed with her friend mentally, out loud, however, she said in a weary voice:  
"He's not my man..."  
"But you wish he were and there's always a chance he would be your man, or not. It all depends on your actions... and his feelings towards you", she added the last part like an afterthought. "How about I take a picture of you and you can show it to him next time you see him? I'm sure he would like it and you'd have something to remember this party by."  
"I don't see why not. As long as I don't have to act like a fashion model", Edna shrugged.  
"Edna, you are a beautiful young woman, who is neither too fat nor too thin. Models, in comparison, are just walking beanstalks", Tina remarked before going to her room. She was back almost immediately, holding her camera in her hands.  
"But could still do some poses, please? It would be better than you standing there like a pillar of salt", she requested. Edna shrugged and put one hand on her hip and did the Vulcan salute with her other hand, all the while wearing a smirk. Tina grinned while she took a few pictures, giving Edna a thumb up when she was done.  
"I'll give you the pics tomorrow", Tina said, putting her camera on the coffee table. "Now, it's PART-TAY TIME!"  
She raised her voice and her right arm. She grinned like a Cheshire Cat. Edna raised her arms too and exclaimed "whoo-hoo". Both women looked at each other and broke into laughter. Edna did not know what made her laugh; she just knew she had the urge to. Not that she particularly cared; she needed more reasons to laugh in her life. It was a lot better than crying or being depressed.  
"Come on, or we'll never be going", Tina said, still chuckling. Edna nodded and both women, after taking their keys, left the apartment and went to the car.

Tina parked her car in front of Bianca's house and she and Edna walked up to the front door. Edna rang the doorbell, already faintly hearing the music from inside the house. Bianca opened the door not long after Edna rang the bell and permitted them entrance with a cheerful "Benvenuto!"  
"Hey Bianca", Edna greeted her younger friend while entering the house.  
"Hi Edna, it's good to see you again", the half-Italian replied with a kind smile. She gave her a once-over: "Wow, I never knew you could look this awesome! This look really suits you. Sebastian, Gregor and Gabrielle are already there too. Anika called five minutes ago, she'll be here in half an hour."  
"Wait a minute, did you just say that Gabrielle's here too?", a startled Edna questioned, not sure whether or not she heard Bianca correctly.  
"She's here, she actually asked me if she could come too", Bianca explained. "Was pretty much surprised myself. But don't worry; Heike and Daniel don't know anything about it. It's unlikely they're gonna crash the party. At least I think so. Gabrielle's not sure either."  
"Those two are the last people we need", Tina commented. "They can turn even the best party in the universe into an assemblage of moody individuals."  
Edna and Bianca nodded in agreement while the latter closed the door. Bianca led the two women to the living room, where the males were talking and drinking. Several of their classmates were there, too. Gabrielle sat lonely on a chair, occasionally sipping from her own drink and looking around like she was feeling out of place. A song from the band _Even Blacker Sabbath_ blared from the stereo. At a wall was a long table covered with a white table cloth. It groaned under the weight of all the party snacks and beverages.  
"That was the only condition I was allowed to host the party", Edna heard Bianca tell Tina. "I'm still underage, so no alcohol. Though I think a few might have smuggled alcohol in."  
"Some of us still have to drive when the party's over, it's probably better this way", Tina responded while Edna headed over to Gabrielle. The lonely girl looked up at her with an unreadable expression.  
"Mind if I sit with you?", Edna asked. Gabrielle wordlessly shrugged and nodded towards an empty chair next to her. Edna took it as an invitation to sit down and did just that.  
"I almost didn't recognize you at first. Heh, so much for Heike saying you have no fashion sense. I bet she would never realize it was you if she were to see you right now", Gabrielle commented.  
"You're not planning to call her, are you?", Edna asked warily. To her relief, Gabrielle shook her head.  
"Nah, I'm here because she was being annoying again –"  
"When is she not?"  
" – and she was busy with her boyfriend. I doubt she'd be noticing my absence."  
"How come you're so different when Heike's not around?"  
That was something Edna had been wondering about for quite some time. When she first met Gabrielle, she was something like a copy of Heike – saying the exact same things as if she were a parrot and using the exact same voice; even her movements were the same. The only differences were their looks on their faces and intelligence quotients. Over time, Edna began noticing some more differences, very subtle ones that were easy to miss, like fleeting apologetic smiles from Gabrielle after another insult from Heike or actually showing concern for others, something the rich platinum blond was incapable of. When Bianca told Edna that Gabrielle used to be a decent girl, it took her off guard but when she thought about this girl's behavior in retrospect, she realized that Bianca was actually telling the truth. Gabrielle was able to show remorse, unlike Heike, and the way she was talking about her, it seemed like she wanted to separate herself from her. Edna could not blame her and wished for her she would do so. She just could not imagine how anyone could stand being around Heike any longer than necessary – and even that was too long.  
"Well, when I first met her, she threatened she would turn everyone against me if I don't do what she says. I was barely a teen at the time and shy around others, so I thought I had no other choice", Gabrielle explained gazing at her lap with half-closed, glassy eyes. She sighed and took a sip from her drink. Edna, meanwhile, thought about how she would have reacted. Right off the bat, she would say she would have handled it differently. But would she have really? Edna knew she had a completely different personality than Gabrielle but, like her, she liked having friends and after having had a childhood with only one friend, who also happened to be dead, she was glad to have a few more friends now. Perhaps she should not judge her for something that occurred in the past. Besides, it was not Gabrielle's fault Heike was the way she was. If anyone was to be blamed, it was Heike's parents' fault for not raising her at all. She, Edna Konrad, might not have gotten the best upbringing from Mattis; she was certainly not as bad as Heike. At least Edna never threatened anyone that she would turn other people against them. Edna was about to tell Gabrielle that she should not worry about the choice she made all those years ago but was distracted when Bianca loudly exclaimed "Hey! You're not invited! Get out!"  
Everybody's heads turned towards the living room door. A second later, Heike and Daniel entered the room, followed closely by a harassed looking Bianca.  
"You better hide", Gabrielle quickly whispered to Edna. She did not need to be told twice. She hid under the table while Heike, who was surveying the room with a contemptuous expression on her face, was looking in their direction. Edna watched from her hiding place what was going on, hoping Heike had not noticed her. However, she did seem to have noticed Gabrielle for she and Daniel walked right up to her.  
"Well, well, well", the platinum blond said, venom oozing from every syllable. "There you are! In this", she gave the room a once-over and made a noise of disgust, "excuse of a house."  
"What are you doing here? How did you find me?", Gabrielle questioned with a mix of fear and puzzlement in her voice.  
"You were supposed to help me get ready for my date with Daniel. But since you weren't there, I had to leave as underdressed like this", she made a pose to show off her outfit, which looked hardly different than anything else Heike ever wore and that was, in Edna's opinion, already overdressing – at least in everyday life. The blond once again looked around. "By the way, where is Nutty Edna? Wasn't this excuse of a party meant for her?"  
"She's not here yet", Gabrielle lied curtly. Edna noticed she held her drink so tight her hand trembled. Heike snorted.  
"Typical! She just wants to be in the center of att-"  
She was interrupted by Gregor, who put a tight hold on Heike's upper arm as well as on Daniel's.  
"I think you two should leave", he remarked and steered them out, with Heike loudly and shrilly protesting. Edna crawled out of her hiding place as soon as they were out of the room and returned to Gabrielle. Anika arrived at the same moment, looking behind her as though she was confused was to what was happening.  
"Were those Heike and Daniel?", she asked, pointing with her thumb behind her.  
"Yes", sighed Bianca. "They decided to crash the party. But anyway", she put on a smile and walked over to her to give her a hug: "Ciao, Anika!"  
"Looks like everyone, who should be here, is here", Edna commented, while watching Anika and Bianca walking over to the boys and Tina. "Unless there's anyone else coming?"  
"Not that I know of", Gabrielle shrugged. Edna stood up, it was time she greeted the others too. She offered the girl next to her a hand:  
"C'mon, let's go over to the others."  
She watched her averting her eyes for a brief second before the younger girl took her hand. The other party guests were busy dancing to the music, either on their own or with a partner. Bianca, who was dancing with Sebastian, was the first to notice them and waved at them to come closer.  
"Enjoying yourselves?", she asked them while Sebastian, who had at last noticed them, stared at Edna like he had never seen her before.  
"Deafening music, snacks and dancing? How can one not enjoy themselves?", Edna replied, having started to dance as well.  
"Listen, sorry about the party crashers!", Bianca apologized but Edna waved her hand dismissively.  
"Nah, it's alright. You couldn't know Heike and Daniel would appear."  
"Even I didn't think she would do this. I thought she and Daniel would be too busy with each other", Gabrielle chimed in. Suddenly, Sebastian's jaw dropped.  
"Edna!? Is that you?", he exclaimed, earning a reproving glance from Bianca.  
"Who else did you think I was? Liza Minnelli?", Edna retorted with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She hoped not everyone would comment on her look or react exactly like Sebastian did; otherwise she would have to kill Tina. Just because her outward appearance was much different than from how she normally looked did it not mean she was an entirely different person. She was still plain, old Edna. Bianca moved lose to Sebastian's ear and hissed something in his ear with a somewhat annoyed expression on her face. He just grinned at her sheepishly.  
"Please excuse us", the half-Italian said and dragged Sebastian to another, quieter part of the house.  
"She seems to be the one with the balls", Gabrielle commented nonchalantly. She and Edna joined the latter's friends in the living room, who all joyfully greeted them.  
"Hey, where's our host and her boyfriend?", Tina questioned upon noticing their absence.  
"Boyfriend?", a confused Edna repeated. "Are they together now?"  
"Not yet, but as good as", Gregor explained. Edna nodded in comprehension and told the others what happened not even five minutes ago. None of them decided to check on them yet, not until they had reason to worry about them.  
Around two hours after the party started, Bianca lowered the music's volume and tapped a spoon against a cup to receive every party-goers' attention. Not that it was needed, for everybody looked around in confusion when it suddenly became quieter.  
"If anybody's up for a quick dip, they can change in the bathroom and go outside in the swimming pool!", she announced. "And who's up for pizza?"  
"Bianca, none of us thought of taking their swimming trunks or swimsuits along! Or do you expect us to go naked?", Sebastian retorted while some went outside to the backyard. Edna thought he had a point and she knew she was not going to go swimming in her birthday suit. However, she would not mind a pizza since she was getting hungry and she did not seem to be the only one; quite a few party-goers werevocal about their desire for food. Bianca ordered several pizzas before she turned up the volume of the music. The party guests continued dancing or theyswam in the pool, either fully clothed or in their ordered pizzas arrived some time later. Anyone who was hungry grabbed a slice or two. Edna enjoyed the party with dancing and socializing with other party guests, most of who were positively surprised at her outfit. She also noticed that some of her classmates were acting intoxicated. Seemed like Bianca had been right earlier. A few were doing ridiculous dance moves while others were making out either on the couch or in a corner. There were even some who snuck off to someplace unknown. Edna decided not to drink too much since she did not want to create any awkwardness between herself and anybody else. Still, she had a fun time at the party. She really had the best friends she could wish for.


	18. Kidnappings And Forgiveness

Well, it's my birthday today and here's, as a little birthday present, the next chappie! Yay!

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 **Kidnappings And Forgiveness**

The Key Master sat on his bed flexing his arm with the sling lying next to him. He had just taken it off and did some tests by himself to see if he still had to wear the sling. To his joy, he found he was not feeling any pain anymore and thus decided he could walk around without it. It had been annoying to rely on someone else's help for mundane things like getting dressed or taking a bath. Speaking of which, he could really use the latter, a nice relaxing warm bath but the only thing he had was a basin, like the one he saw in several old cartoons, which he filled with water from the pond or well, and a washcloth, and a bottle of shower gel that was nearly empty. There was no way for him he could take a relaxing bath. Everything in this house was like it never got the memo that they had the twenty-first century. Only the furniture he got from Edna's friends and the bean bag chair gave any indication that his place had not been abandoned a hundred years ago. The disassembled pieces of the old furniture still lay in a corner of the main room, though he had used the smaller parts as firewood when he needed fire to heat up the water. He had long decided to not use the bigger parts until it became colder and he needed to heat up the house... or until he got an ax to chop them into smaller pieces. However, he had his doubts that Edna would give him an ax. Besides, he did not want to do any hard labor work for some time. The Key Master just contemplated to look for small twigs and branches in the forest when he heard a knock on the door.  
"Key Master? Can I come in?", he heard Edna's voice on the other side.  
"Come in!", he replied and a very tired looking Edna with Harvey in her arms entered the house. From the way she was looking, she could need a few more hours of sleep. She had dark circles under her eyes and she had a good yawn now and then.  
"You look tired", the Key Master stated plainly.  
"Only slept for four hours before I was awoken by the neighbors fighting", Edna explained, taking a seat next to the Key Master. She put her blue rag doll rabbit on her lap. "They're still at it and I thought I could get some peace and quiet here."  
She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, apparently not bothering whether he would mind it or not. But if the Key Master was honest with himself, he did not mind at all. It was not like he had to be anywhere and he could do some flexing exercises with the arm that had been in a sling until an hour ago since Edna was leaning against his other shoulder.

* * *

The family camping trip due north had to endure a little interruption at a supermarket in a nice looking town. Lilli and her adoptive parents were in need of edible and drinkable objects, as well as some crossword puzzles for both females. Stefan was responsible for getting food and drinks and Susan was busy picking out the crossword puzzles. Lilli, meanwhile, strolled along the aisle with the sweet products, like chocolate, gummi bears, and cookies and so on in search for a package or two of cookies. There was only one other person in this aisle, aside from her. It was a young woman with short, blond hair, who seemed to like eating a little too much to care about looking like a fashion model, but not to the point of looking overweight. If Lilli were asked to pick a word to describe this young woman, her first choice would probably be 'chubby'. Lilli paid no more heed to the woman as she scanned the shelves for her favorite cookies. She found them quite soon and reached out for them to take them when something heavy bumped into her from the side and she nearly fell down. It was only because she managed to regain her balance that she did not fall on her side.  
"Sorry", the chubby woman apologized. "I should've been more careful."  
"It's alright, no harm done", Lilli replied with a hand wave. The woman smiled apologetically at her. Lilli found her to be nice and trustworthy looking, the kind of person one could count on. If she had more time on her hands, she would seriously consider getting to know this woman. However, this was not the case and thus, she took the cookies packages and started to head out of the aisle when she heard the woman's cell phone ringing and her answering it:  
"Oh hey, Edna."  
Lilli stopped in her tracks and swiveled around. She had not heard the name in years nor had she seen the owner of the name for a long time, having lost contact with her. Still, was there a possibility that the Edna this woman was having a conversation with was her old, and only, friend from the convent school? True, Edna was not a one of a kind name – it might as well be someone who just happened to have the same name – but it was also not among the most common names. Besides, Lilli knew the village she and Edna used to live in as not very far from this town and if her friend had decided to not move too far away from her old home, the this town might be one of the possible places she could live in now. Lilli knew chances of that were really slim, even slimmer than a fashion model, but it would still be marvelous to know if this woman was actually really talking to her old friend. Unfortunately, she would not get the chance to receive the answer since her adoptive parents appeared right next to her and she knew it meant it was time to go. Therefore, Lilli followed Stefan and Susan to the cash registers, where they joined a long line.  
"You can go ahead to the trailer, sweetie", her mother permitted her. Lilli nodded and with a "see you later", she squeezed between the line of people and shelves to the entrance area and left the supermarket. She looked left and right for any approaching car and, after seeing none, headed for the trailer. The next few seconds happened so fast, she would not be able to recall the incident. For a brief moment, she felt something, like a mosquito bite, in the back of her neck. Whatever it was, it caused her knees to go weak and vision to go blurry before she blacked out.

* * *

Two men approached the unconscious blond girl, one was overweight and bald with the exception of the shock of brown hair going around the back his head like half a wreath and the other was slim and still had all of his brown hair on his head. Both men wore the same kind of clothes, suggesting they worked at the same place.  
"Who would have thought we would find this girl here?", the overweight man commented while picking her up. "Last time we saw her, she meant a lot of trouble for us."  
"Do you think Doctor Marcel would be happy to know we found this girl too, Bladder?", his colleague asked as they went back to their van.  
"Better her than to return empty-handed, René", Bladder replied. "We still got to find this Tina Kemmer and, most importantly, Edna."  
René nodded in agreement before getting back into the vehicle, where Babbitt was currently having trouble with the GPS. Bladder got into the back of the van and tied their sleeping guest up, so that she would be unable to move around when she woke up. Then he joined his two colleagues to the front of the car. Babbitt was close to tears since he was unable to get the GPS to work.  
"Let me handle that", Bladder said impatiently. Babbitt left the driver's seat to make room for him and decided to take a seat in the back of the vehicle. After all, he might as well keep an eye on the prisoner before she was going to get any funny ideas when she woke up. Babbitt had never met Lilli before but he knew René and Bladder had and that she was once hypnotized by Doctor Marcel, putting several behavioral blocks in her mind. Like Edna, Lilli was the cause of a headache for the doctor and the two employees, which actually ended with the former going into jail. Based on everything Babbitt heard about this blond girl and her antics, he was glad he had not been there when the events involving her happened and that he had been participating in a mini golf tournament instead.  
The hum of the engine told the small man that Bladder had started the van. Babbitt hoped he knew where to go to, he just wanted to put this all behind him. Their task of finding Edna and her friends was nothing more than a waste of time when they should be taking care of the patients. All three men in this vehicle were of this opinion but were too afraid to voice them aloud. Nobody knew what would happen if Doctor Marcel or Anes or, worse, both knew about this. It was just common knowledge that it would not be pretty.

* * *

The young woman, who was a former patient of a mental institution, made herself comfortable underneath the shade of a tree with the same reading matter she had her nose stuck in for the past several weeks, as well as with her oldest friend. She had her cell phone in her hand since she had called her housemate a minute ago to let her know she was enjoying the great outdoors... and to ask her to buy her pudding upon learning she was in the supermarket. Tina also mentioned on the phone that she was going to leave the next day to visit her parents for the following week; therefore she was doing some errands throughout the day to leave no task unfinished.  
"Are you still going to invite that guy", Harvey nodded towards the house where the Key Master was currently taking care of his personal hygiene, "over when Tina's gone? What's wrong with just the two of us at home?"  
"Harv, I like your company but you were my only companion for over ten years, so I would like others, actual real life people, around me", Edna explained. "And, face it, we've been fighting a lot lately."  
"True, but if you have to have others around, why not someone else from your circle of friends?", Harvey questioned. "Like Bianca or Anika?"  
"Bianca's joining Sebastian and his family on their family vacation in France", Edna started but was interrupted by Harvey:  
"I thought it was in Spain where the rain stays mainly in the plain."  
"And Anika told me that she and Amy are going to spend the next three weeks in the USA", Edna went on as though she had not been interrupted. "I'm not sure if I can trust Gabrielle enough to invite her over yet and even then, Heike would surely find her and annoy us. We don't want that, do we?"  
"Nah, I guess not", Harvey responded. Edna took the lavender blue diary in her hands without saying another word and began reading:

 _May 26th, 1990_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _A new neighbor has moved into the house next door that had been empty for years. Our new neighbor is a single man, who looks a little older than me and Mattis. If I were to describe him, I would say he looked grumpy (I hope this isn't his actual personality). Mattis and I are planning to visit our new neighbor tomorrow. Maybe he's nice."_

Although Vivian had not written down the name of the new neighbor, Edna nevertheless had an inkling who this might have been... and she got the urge to go to that house and wreak havoc in there. Perhaps she could secretly decorate the exterior walls of his house with some graffiti, it would certainly look better then. Edna grinned mischievously to herself when she thought of all the things she had written on about every surface with the ballpoint pen she found in Doctor Marcel's office after she got out of her cell. She had not seen much of the asylum when she was brought back there three years after her spectacular escape but from what little she saw, they had unfortunately cleaned up the mess she left behind. But Edna would not bother to travel to this location just so she could play decorator with ketchup, mustard, her own saliva, and a pen. No, if anyone ever got the idea that the asylum could and should be beautified, they would have to do that themselves. Edna put her mother's diary next to her and took the one that belonged to Mattis to read what he wrote that day. It was basically the same as his wife's, although he mentioned that he heard their new neighbor was some kind of doctor. This pretty much confirmed Edna's hunch. Doctor Marcel was the only doctor they had in the neighborhood more than twenty years ago. The others had different professions, like technician, lawyer or secretary. If she was no mistaken, one was even a firefighter. Edna just pondered to herself if they all still lived there or if they had moved away since then when she heard footsteps, signaling the Key Master's approach.  
"Hello Princess", were his words of greetings as he sat down next to Edna. "Still reading your parents' diaries I see."  
"Yup", she confirmed. "I'm at the part where Doctor Marcel moved into the house next door to my family."  
"Was it before or after you were born?"  
"Before, but I'm already making sure my mom was gaining quite some weight."  
"Well then, don't let me keep you from reading."  
The young woman nodded and went back to reading, with the Key Master just sitting next to her and flexing his arm now and then. She read and read until she came to the part about her birth. That was when she decided she needed a break and some food. Edna shut Mattis's diary after reading about a light-hearted argument he had with his wife over who newborn Edna was more similar to. Vivian compared her to a baby monkey; Edna was not sure what to make of this. Anyway, she put the diaries back into her bag and took her blue, stuffed lagomorph as she rose on her two feet.  
"I'm gonna go get some lunch", she announced. "Care to join me?"  
Her offer was answered with a simple "sure" and with the Key Master getting up too. Without further ado, they made their way to town.

* * *

The three employees from the asylum and the still unconscious Lilli were on the highway, on their way to the village and its institution. They had managed to find the place of residence of this Tina Kemmer but, unfortunately, no one was home. So, instead of waiting for hours for her return, they opted to go back to the asylum and present the doctor with Lilli. At least, he would not have a reason to shout at them too much and it would be his chance to exact revenge on her for humiliating him.  
The drive was quiet, except for the music playing in the radio. Bladder drove the vehicle, Babbitt kept an eye on their captive and René dozed, his snores sounded like a saw cutting down trees. Sometimes, either Babbitt or Bladder expected the loud 'thump' and the quaking of the earth when a tree was felled until they realized it was just their sleeping colleague.  
"Are we there yet?", Babbitt asked impatiently. "René's starting to get on my nerves."  
"We're almost there", Bladder replied and, true enough, they arrived in the village only five minutes later. All that was left of their way was the main street and the serpentine street leading up the hill to the asylum. The way up to the mental institution was devoid of any vehicles most of the time; the only ones driving up and down the street were the employees and that did not happen every minute of the day. Very rarely, a friend or a family member of one of the inmates would come to visit them but it had not happened for so long that none could recall when it happened the last time. The patients were content with just being among each other, so no one thought too much about it.  
They arrived at the entrance gate of the asylum and were permitted entrance a minute later by their colleague in the watchtower. Hulgor was already waiting for them at the garages.  
"And? Did you find Edna or her friend?", he asked as Bladder got out of the van.  
"No, but we found someone else who Doctor Marcel would like to have for a patient", Bladder replied.  
"Oh? And who might that be?", Hulgor inquired. His question was answered when Babbitt left the van carrying the still sleeping Lilli in his arms. The tall blue-clad man nodded in acknowledgement and told the two men and René, who had just woken up, to go see Doctor Marcel. They all heeded his suggestion and hurried inside the building and hurried upstairs to Doctor Marcel's office.  
"Ben, what are you doing there?", Babbitt questioned when they all reached the topmost floor of the tower. Ben jumped about a meter in the air and quickly slid the grate shut.  
"Nothing", he replied, a little too quickly and panicky. "I just thought I heard something in there, so I was checking if there was something the matter."  
"Just make sure they're doing their work, okay?", Babbitt ordered, walking past Ben with his two colleagues and Lilli. They all stopped at the end of the hallway and Babbitt knocked at the door on the left hand side. A moment later, the three men and the unconscious girl gained the permission to enter the office. Bladder opened the door and they all filed into the room, with René closing the wooden barrier that could be opened and closed at will. Doctor Marcel sat behind his desk, reading a book about psychology and sipping a steaming cup of tea. Babbitt, who felt that the sleeping girl in his arms was slowly getting a little heavy, could not understand how anyone could drink hot beverages in the Summer heat.  
"Well? Have you found them? Or at least one of them?", Doctor Marcel demanded to know. It was René who stepped forward to provide an answer:  
"We couldn't find either of them but –"  
A groan interrupted him. Doctor Marcel, whose gray skin complexion had taken on a particular ugly shade of red, raised his eyebrows, staring quizzically at his three employees. René and Bladder, who were blocking their employer's view on their hostage, stepped aside to reveal an awakening Lilli. Babbitt let her down; all three men immediately took their blowpipes, which are all filled with the anesthetics darts, out of nowhere and aimed with them at her. Lilli looked around, fear and confusion written all over her face.  
"Ah Lilli, so glad you could join us", Doctor Marcel spoke up. The girl quickly turned her head towards the voice. The men watched as her eyes widened in recognition before narrowing with rage.  
"YOU!"  
"Not quite the person I wanted, but she will do too", the doctor commented, ignoring Lilli's exclamation. "Now, bring her to a cell or the recreation room and tomorrow, I want you to find the right person."  
"Aye sir!", his three employees replied simultaneously. Bladder put his blowpipe away and picked the girl up over his shoulder. Making sure she was unable to escape, the three men left the doctor's office, went down the hallway past Ben, who was still standing guard at the door of Edna's old cell, and down the stairs.  
"There's something I don't get", René remarked. "Why do we have to capture this Tina? I get it that Doctor Marcel wants Edna to be captured, but why the other?"  
"Maybe because the doctor reckons she's her friend?", Bladder suggested.  
"Wouldn't it make more sense to kidnap all of Edna's friends then?"  
"Well, if you happen to have a list of all of her friends, then don't hesitate to show us", Babbitt sarcastically retorted. They reached the locked gate that led to the recreation room.  
"I've given up trying and understanding the doctor a long time ago", Bladder told René while Babbitt was busy unlocking the gate. The latter stayed behind to prevent any of the loonies from escaping, the overweight man and the thin man went to the recreation room, where Bladder unceremoniously dumped Lilli on the floor of the main area.

* * *

Ben waited until his three colleagues went down the stairs with the futilely struggling girl before he opened the grate again. The four patients worked on the anesthetics darts but stopped as soon as they noticed him looking in.  
"Is the coast clear?", Peter asked.  
"Yes, but my colleagues were carrying a girl", Ben replied in a worried voice. "She looks like she is about to enter her teen years in a few years. Blond hair, tied together in pigtails with pink ribbons. Has a pink bow on top of her head."  
"Funny, I once met a little girl who wore her hair the way you described", the Washing Maniac remarked in an amused voice.  
"Me too", Peter said. "She should be around the same age as the girl you saw by now, Ben."  
A moment passed and Ben, the Washing Maniac, and Peter's eyebrows furrowed when realization dawned on them. Could it be that the girl from a few years ago and the one the young guard saw only a few minutes ago were one and the same? Ben could not tell since he only started after the incident that led Doctor Marcel to be in prison for a brief period of time and the two who could confirm or deny whether they know the girl or not had been unable to see her. Tiger Head and Bruce's eyes flickered between the three men, obviously not comprehending anything that was going on.  
"Try to find out if the name of the girl you saw is Lilli", Peter instructed. "If it is, then she and the one from a few years ago really are one and the same."  
"Will do", Ben nodded. He was worried about the girl. She looked she could not even harm a fly and yet, Doctor Marcel had her kidnapped. What had she done to him? Did she look at him the wrong way? Perhaps Doctor Marcel should be the one stuck in a cell, not the four in the one Ben was looking in. He could not blame them if one of them would end up with claustrophobia, with all of them being stuck in a solitary cell. Ben wished he could just move them to another, more humane asylum. Anywhere was surely better than here. It was no surprise that so many patients attempted to escape, even if none were successful. But what Ben worried the most was that no one seemed to care how the patients were treated here. As far as he knew, for example, electroshock therapies were not done with an electric chair and, he paled at the thought, who knew how many people Doctor Marcel had executed with it. He was certainly sick, twisted and evil enough to do so.

* * *

Edna and the Key Master spent their time exploring the forest several hours after they had their lunch and after had enjoyed a nice swim in the pond near his house. It was actually the young woman's suggestion for she had hopes of finding something exciting... and she wanted to relive her childhood of exploring the forest near the village. At first, he did not think much of going exploring but she convinced him by telling him it was better than doing nothing. So, as it was getting dark, they went into the forest as usual and went their usual path for a while until they reached a clearing. Here, Edna observed the area before deciding they should go the left way. She led the way with her male companion following closely behind her. It got darker and darker to the point that they could barely see their hands in front of their eyes. Edna stopped walking to get accustomed to the darkness. Unfortunately, she neglected to warn the Key Master and so, he bumped into her and she started to fall forward. She stretched her arms out to soften her fall but it did not prevent her from crying out in pain.  
"Why am I always forgetting to bring a flashlight along?", she muttered to herself. "Don't move, I'm getting up now."  
Edna sat up and then rose to her feet. She wiped her hair from her face and took a deep breath.  
"Maybe we should be getting a flashlight before proceeding?", the Key Master suggested. Edna began to nod her head but then remembered it was too dark to see anything, so she gave a verbal answer:  
"Yeah, guess you're right."  
She heard the Key Master moving and she heard his footsteps getting farther and farther away from her. She followed the sound through the darkness back to the clearing. Compared to the darkness like a thick, black veil was the bright light of the sun's last rays of the day shining in her face almost blinding. Edna shielded her eyes with her right hand.  
"I should really make it a habit to take a flashlight with me...", she remarked. She put her hand down, having gotten used to the brightness, and looked at the Key Master as if to ask what they should do now. He gave a clueless shrug.  
"Perhaps we should go to my hideout first if you don't want to get a flashlight immediately", he suggested.  
"Works for me."  
He headed off to the direction that led to the house he currently called his home, with Edna following him. She mentally scolded herself for not thinking about bringing some source of light with her. She should have known that the forest was so thick that it was nearly impossible to navigate through in complete darkness – unless one knew the paths well. And this was one path she did not know well. So, she should have thought ahead. Fortunately, it did not mean that they had to stop their exploration altogether; it had just been put on hold.  
Edna plopped down on the ground in the middle of the field in front of the Key Master's house. With a sigh, she let herself fall on her back and stared straight up to the endless blue sky. The first stars were twinkling like diamonds while the last rays of sunshine disappeared beyond the horizon.  
"Already exhausted? I thought you had much more energy than that", the Key Master noted, sitting down next to her.  
"No, more like mad at myself for forgetting to bring a flashlight with me", Edna replied, glancing up at the man next to her. "Or that I can't just conjure light when I want and need to."  
"You would need to be witch to do that", the Key Master replied. Edna was not sure but she could have sworn he mumbled something about her being a cute witch. Not wanting to embarrass him or herself, she decided not to say anything about this but instead said:  
"Better a witch than something that rhymes with it."  
She grinned at herself for her joke and imagined what she would do if she could cast spells. In her mind's eye, she saw herself hexing and jinxing Doctor Marcel and his minions, Heike and her boyfriend. They ended up with ugly little furuncles, Doctor Marcel's nose had the size of a water melon and he was stuck in one of the cells of his asylum with no chance of escaping, his minions were the size of garden gnomes and had hair growing all over them; Heike had all kinds of blemishes a vain person would not want on their skin, and Daniel was turned into a sewer rat. The little fantasy widened her grin to the point that she resembled a Cheshire Cat.  
"Hm? What are you grinning about?", the Key Master questioned.  
"Oh, I was just imagining what I would do to my enemies if I could really use spells", Edna responded.  
"And what would you do?"  
"I would let them suffer."  
Edna cackled evilly and her grin took on a maniac vibe.  
"Remind me not to get on your bad side... again", he added the word as though it was an afterthought. Edna's grin disappeared and her face became pretty much expressionless.  
"Like the times you committed a murder?", she asked dryly, sitting up.  
"Are you ever going to stop to hold it against me? Or is there another reason?", he retorted in an unnerved tone. Edna turned her head away, so that she was not looking at him. Her shoulders sank when she thought about her true reason. It did not matter whether she forgave him or not, he would be gone sooner or later. That was what he wanted. She had no rights to tell him he should not leave the country.  
"There really is another reason...", it was not a question but a statement that left the Key Master's mouth. Edna did not move a muscle, gave no reaction that she heard him. She was deep in thought, contemplating whether she should tell him the truth or not. Maybe she should really tell him, he deserved to know. But what would he think? Would he suspect something? Or would he just assume she saw him as a close friend and nothing more? Edna quietly pondered if she could ever bring herself to listen to Tina and just tell him her feelings.  
"Edna?"  
At last, she gave sign that she heard him and realized at once that she had not answered his question yet. Oh well, I got nothing to lose, Edna thought and spoke in one breath:  
"I don't like the thought of you leaving the country."  
"What?", the Key Master asked in confusion, apparently not having heard correctly.  
"You heard me, I don't like the thought of you fleeing the country", Edna repeated, this time more slowly and in a loud and clear voice. The Key Master frowned at her; he would surely be asking questions now. Questions that would cause her to tell him about her crush. She was a lot like a teenage girl, inexperienced in matters of love, relationships and males. At times like these, she wished she had experienced normal puberty. She could consider herself lucky that her memories of her childhood came back on their own over the years following her breakout – and even before that. If they had not, she would have been as helpless as an infant.  
"Just because I'm not here anymore doesn't it mean we can never see each other again", the Key Master pointed out. "You could still visit me, just not every day anymore."  
"I guess you're right... It was ridiculous of me to behave like this", Edna replied.  
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm going to miss you too", the green-skinned man confessed. The young woman gave him a weak smile before rising on her feet.  
"I should be going home... It's getting late."  
"Don't forget your stuff", the Key Master reminded her. He, too, rose to his feet and accompanied her to his house, where she fetched her items. Then she left with words of departure and the promise to come back the next day.

* * *

It had been quite a shock for Lilli when she was unceremoniously dropped on the ground like a used tissue. This was a few minutes ago, now she sat together with the Beeman at a table in the arts and crafts room and watched him drawing a field of flowers with bees flying overhead, all in crayons of course. This man in his bee costume was among the few patients Lilli met when she broke in to rescue her friend Edna. Last time she saw him, he had jumped off the roof and flown away. From what the blond girl could tell, things seemed to have changed a lot around here since then.  
"Are you sure you don't want to draw anything?", the Beeman asked her.  
"No thank you", Lilli politely declined. She took a look around the room, noting it was full of art supplies, like giant sheets of paper, an easel, clay and so on. Some of the artistic pieces made by the patients were also exhibited, for example various pictures, shapeless blobs that had a passing resemblance to ashtrays, and a copy of the master key. The last one was the best piece of work in her opinion.  
"Shouldn't it be time for dinner by now? I mean, it's getting dark out", Lilli remarked. She was on the brink of starvation, having not eaten all day long with the exception of a croissant for breakfast. She was worried about her adoptive parents and how they must have reacted upon noticing her disappearance. Hopefully, there was someone who had seen what happened on the parking lot and could thus help them out. The last thing she wanted was to spend an extended period of time here. Still, she was worried about what the doctor had said earlier, about wanting to kidnap Edna, even if it meant to capture a friend of hers. If only there was a way to warn Edna but how if the only telephone around did not even function?  
"You're right, we should have gotten dinner hours ago", the Beeman agreed with her. "I wonder what's taking them so long?"  
Lilli shrugged, having no clue when the usual time for dinner was. But since it seemed like it was still a while until they could eat, she decided to ask a simple question:  
"What happened here since the night I was here?"  
"Well, I don't know much myself but Doctor Marcel was apparently in jail, albeit very briefly", the bald man in a bee costume replied. "He was bailed out quite soon, by an unknown individual. No one knew who it was, though, but rumor has it that it was the Phantom. But I can't see how or why the Phantom would do that."  
"He's Doctor Marcel's oldest son", Lilli explained, remembering well how the Phantom told her this in the storage room. She had not known who this Alfred he was talking about was, except that he was the younger son. But from what she could gather, Alfred was the ugly boy on the portrait she found and that he was dead. Oh, and that the circumstances surrounding his death were mysterious. Lilli never found out more about this since she had other, more important matters at hand.  
"Oh? Now this is interesting", the Beeman remarked. "We all know about his deceased son but we would have never thought he had more than one son. You know, Doctor Marcel has a room on the third floor, which no one is allowed to enter. He spends a few hours in there every day. Rumor has it that this room is a shrine for his son but the only one who could confirm this is long gone."  
"Who?"  
"Hm, a young woman with purple hair. Always carried a blue rag doll rabbit around. If I remember correctly, her name was Edna."  
"Edna!?"  
"Oh yes, you should have been here when she broke out. Left quite a mess behind. They needed months until they cleaned everything up. They even had to replace some furnishings."  
Lilli raised her eyebrows, she knew Edna once broke out of this place but she would have never imagined she left behind such a mess. But judging from her behavior in the convent school, it should come to no surprise to Lilli. Edna did enjoy causing a little bit of mayhem now and then, though the blond girl was sure her friend was even worse before that.  
"Last time I was here, you all could do what you wanted and Doctor Marcel couldn't care less. What happened?"  
"Well, after he was released, he felt humiliated and mad... well, madder than he already did. When he came back, he kept a more watchful eye on us patients and severely punished anyone who stepped out of line. He even took some patients away to places unknown, they were never seen again", the Beeman recounted.  
"Like who?", Lilli questioned, fearing she would hear names she knew.  
"Hm, the screaming guy who usually hangs around the laundry lift, Bruce, Peter, Washing Maniac and Tiger Head. There are more but I can't remember them all. You should ask the Barkeeper for the names, he knows them all."  
The Beeman pointed with his thumb to the door nearest the windows. A man, approximately in his late thirties, early forties, emerged through that door. He had his long hair tied back into a loose ponytail. His clothes were arranged in such a way that he was dressed like a famous conductor, even though his garments consisted of rags in earthy shades. A huge grin spread across his face as soon as he spotted Lilli and walked with huge strides towards her.  
"A newbie!", he exclaimed joyously. He gave an exaggerated bow and then vigorously shook her hand. "My name is Maestro Frank, famous musician and reincarnation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart."  
"I'm Lilli", the blond girl with the pigtails replied, somewhat perplexed at this strange man's antics. She glanced at the Beeman, who only shrugged as if to tell her to just go with it.

* * *

Edna was currently in Tina's room and helped her pack. This room was vastly different from Edna's, with its azure wallpaper and midnight blue carpet. One corner was covered with stuffed animals and plushies of fictional characters. Tina's closet took up one whole wall while the one opposite of it had a painted picture of a lighthouse on cliff by the sea, painted by Tina. Beneath the painting was a desk with a computer and under the desk was a printer.  
"I left you some money and enough food for two weeks", the chubby blond said while folding a shirt and packing it into her suitcase. "And I leave you my PSP and the games for it, if you want to play a handheld. Uh, hand me over the jeans, will you?"  
"Uh, you're only gone for a week", Edna pointed out. "So, why are you leaving with twice the amount of what I need?"  
"Well, in case you're going to invite someone over", Tina replied, winking at her. Edna knew in this moment that the word 'someone' was a synonym for 'Key Master'. "By the way, I hope you're going to tell him about your feelings while I'm gone. I would be happy for you if it turns out he feels the same."  
"And if he doesn't?"  
Tina gave an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes.  
"Honestly, you sound like a character from a telenovela", she remarked, shaking her head. "Only things missing are the heartbreaks every ten minutes and incredibly hot guys... at least when it's a Latin American telenovela."  
Now it was Edna's turn to roll her eyes. She knew that Latin American telenovelas were a guilty pleasure of Tina's after Amy introduced them to her during her depressive phase, though she did not watch them regularly. But if she watched them, then on in the Internet. Edna did not see the appeal of a show full of heartbreak, misunderstandings and tragedies. Each to their own, she guessed.  
"The thing is, you will never know how he feels if you don't say anything, unless he suddenly develops the ability to read minds... or he becomes a Betazoid", Tina remarked while walking over to her underwear drawer. She rummaged through her under garments, adding: "I'm actually surprised at you; I thought you like taking risks. This is no different, just jump head first into the cold waters."  
Edna leaned against the closet with her arms crossed under her chest. Her eyes were directed towards Tina's bed but she was not really seeing it. She was lost in a deep sea of thoughts; it was true, she liked taking risks, she enjoyed dangerous stuff. So, why did she have qualms of just going to the Key Master and telling him what she really felt? It was not like she would lose her life or that something dreadful would happen if he did not reciprocate her feelings. The worst that could happen was that he did not want to have anything to do with her. A thought Edna could hardly digest without getting nauseous. But maybe he did feel the same or, if not, would not break off the contact with her.  
"Well okay, you convinced me", she announced as Tina went back to her luggage with her arm full of under garment. "I'm going to tell him about my feelings", Edna added at her friend's questioning look. Tina nodded and opened her mouth to let a quiet "ah" out.  
"Anyway, I'm going to my room now. Good night", Edna said and left Tina's room. She heard her friend wishing her a good night too when she closed the door.  
Harvey was already waiting for her in her room. He did not have any interest in helping Tina pack for her weeklong trip to her parents. He would have joined if it had involved swords that would randomly explode or if they would have used a bird bath in combination with the couch.  
"We're gonna have this place all to ourselves from tomorrow on!", Harvey excitedly exclaimed. "Yippie!"  
Suddenly he stopped his cheering and eyed Edna suspiciously:  
"Unless she's not going or you'll invite people over."  
"Don't worry, she is going", Edna replied while she opened her closet to find something fresh and clean to wear for sleep – she accidentally spilled ice coffee on her pajamas that morning. However all she found was a pair of shorts and a purple shirt that was a few sizes to big for her. Oh well, it would have to suffice, she thought as she got changed. Then she made herself comfortable with her parents' diaries and a bar of chocolate.  
"Hm? What?", she asked when she noticed Harvey was looking at her funny.  
"Should I be worried that you're wearing the Key Master's shirt?"  
"What?", Edna breathed the word full with puzzlement.  
"That's the shirt you washed for him weeks ago", the stuffed lagomorph replied. "I'm just wondering if there's any reason to worry about you."  
"Well, that explains why I have a shirt several times my size in my closet", Edna mumbled to herself. "At least in a part that isn't occupied by my parents' clothes."  
She shrugged to herself and opened the books and read about her infant years. She was slowly getting to the part where she had her very first Christmas. Both Mattis and Vivian described how she kept them on their toes since she started crawling. They had to be careful not to let anything fragile out for it would be shattered in pieces not long after little Edna was near it.

 _December 24th, 1990_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Edna, Mattis and I celebrated our first Christmas Eve together. We invited Doctor Marcel over for dinner since he didn't seem to have any family. Well, he got a load of Edna's porridge in his face. I still don't know whether she didn't like Doctor Marcel or her porridge. Anyway, we exchanged presents after dinner – I got Mattis a new suit for his dinner with his boss in early January, and as for Edna... she got a blue rag doll rabbit, although I better make sure it's not near her when she's sleeping. It is much larger than she is._

Edna's jaw dropped as she read those words. So, she had Harvey since she was a little baby. She gazed at her blue friend and tried imagining herself as a baby next to him. He was a lot bigger than she was – especially if one counted his ears – and they would have been approximately the same height – if one did not count his ears – some times as she grew.  
"What? Is there something on my face?", Harvey asked when he noticed Edna staring at him.  
"Sorry, I was just imagining myself as a baby next to you", she explained. "I read in here that I got you as a present on my very first Christmas."  
"So, that means we've been together since you weren't even a year old", the blue rabbit exclaimed with a huge grin on his face. "Is there anything else that's interesting?"  
"Well, Doctor Marcel was invited over for dinner –", Harvey responded to this with a noise of disgust, "– and I threw porridge in his face."  
Harvey snickered at that part as did Edna. She could just see the old man's face getting red in anger and frustration since he could not actually do something against an innocent infant. But there was one thing that confused Edna. Why did her mother mention that he did not seem to have any family? Alfred was around her age and he had an older brother, so there should have been a mention of them in there. Or were they not his biological children and a woman, who was insane enough to marry him, brought them into his family after her first failed marriage? If so, Alfred must have been very young still, seeing how close he and Doctor Marcel were. There so many possibilities why things were as they were. Hopefully her parents learned more about this and wrote it in their diaries. Edna did not really want to theorize too much about this. Thus, she continued reading about her first year in life, her taking her first steps and her saying her first word – "wabbit". On her first birthday, she got a toy elephant, the one she would eventually give the name 'Apocalyptor'. She was certain it was the one since she could not recall having owned any other elephants. Still, if she got both Harvey and Apocalyptor during her first year of life, it would explain why these two and not somebody else were her two best and oldest friends.  
"Why do you spend so much time reading?", Harvey suddenly asked after Edna read an entry in her father's diary how she showed a lot of interest in books that were far too sophisticated for her. "Don't you think there are more exciting things you could do? Reading too much is boring."  
"Harv, I want to find out why Mattis didn't go through with me having the character correction when we visited the asylum, remember?", Edna reminded him. Harvey looked at her skeptically.  
"I don't so think, otherwise you would've started reading Mattis's diary and have jumped right to the part with your visit to the asylum", he pointed out.  
"You almost sound like it would be bad for me to know more about my past", Edna remarked. Back then when she first started reading those diaries, her only intention had been to find out why she did not have to go through a correction of character and to get to know her mother. But the more she read, the more she became interested in her long forgotten past and could not stop reading. Those were all things she never had gotten the chance to ask her parents about, so she was immensely glad that they had written it down. It was also like a proof for Edna, evidence that proved that Mattis and Vivian Konrad really existed once. So, she had to disagree with Harvey; she did not think reading as boring, especially in regards of those pages. But lately, she and her blue rabbit did not agree on certain things and even spoke less with each other. It is because you have others, actual people to talk to now, a little voice in her head whispered. Edna could not deny it; if she had problems, she could talk with Tina or any of her other friends. It became rare that she would go to Harvey for consulting now. Still, even if Edna and Harvey were drifting apart, he would always remain a dear friend to her and she would never separate herself from him again. Not since that fateful night she lost him after falling into a river.

Edna woke up the following morning, which was gray and overcast, with Vivian's open diary on her stomach and Mattis's right next to her with Harvey lying on top of it. She could not remember falling asleep but it must have been quite late for when she looked at the open page, the date was in late 1991. She shut the book and sat up with a loud yawn. She realized she was hungry, so she got out of bed and left her room. Tina was already busy eating a bowl of cereals and reading the morning newspaper.  
"Mornin'", she said, briefly glancing from the paper. Edna mumbled her greeting back while heading to the kitchen. She was about to go through the door when she heard her housemate say: "New sleeping shirt?"  
Edna turned her head and glimpsed at Tina, asking:  
"Since when are you so interested with what I wear for sleep?"  
"I'm just saying 'cause I've never seen this shirt before", Tina shrugged. "Of course, there could be various reasons for that."  
She went back to eating and reading and Edna walked through the door to the kitchen. Her choice for the early morning meal was a bowl of cornflakes. She prepared her breakfast and returned to the living room, joining Tina at the dinner table.  
"Wow, with a guy like that I guess we can consider ourselves happy he's dead now", Tina suddenly remarked a few minutes later. Edna looked up from her breakfast with a questioning expression on her face.  
"Who're you talking about?", she asked.  
"Remember the murdered man they found in an alley a few weeks ago?"  
Of course Edna remembered that guy, it was kind to hard to forget him if the one she was crushing on was the culprit. She had never told anyone about this, she did not want to see the Key Master behind bars.  
"Yes I do. What about him?"  
"Well, they found out more about him. Supposedly, he attended countless sex parties, hosted a few of them actually, and most, if not all, girls he had sexual contact with later became prostitutes and worked in a brothel owned by him", Tina replied, gazing at her newspapers once in a while. "I feel kind of better that a man like him was murdered and not a kind person."  
"I guess you're right", Edna agreed with a shrug and went back to her cornflakes, finishing them soon. She brought her bowl back to the kitchen and left it in the sink, being too lazy to clean. Instead she went back to her room and gathered her clothes she was going to wear that day together. One trip to the bathroom, with her articles of clothing in her arms, later, she emerged from that room showered, teeth brushed, hair brushed, and, most importantly, dressed. In short, she was ready for whatever the day might bring her.  
"I'll be going out now, see you when you get back from your parents' place", Edna said to Tina after getting her phone, money, a flashlight, and Harvey as well as some spare batteries from her room. From the kitchen, she got a bottle of water. "Harv says see you too."  
"See ya, Tina", the blue rag doll rabbit confirmed, even waving at the chubby blond, who smiled at the two of them.  
"Enjoy yourselves while I'm gone but I wanna see the apartment in one piece when I get back", she warned them. "I like having a home, y'know?"  
"What? Does that mean we can't let a herd of mad, raging bull and a flock of crazy chickens loose in here!?", Harvey exclaimed.  
"Don't you worry, the apartment will still be standing when you get back", Edna assured her housemate before leaving. Her destination was the Key Master's place of residence. She wanted to have another go at exploring the forest after it went oh so well the previous day. At least she thought of taking some source of light with her this time around. Who would know what they might find? A long forgotten treasure? A portal to another dimension? Or perhaps the mortal remains of a creature that went extinct millions of years ago? The possibilities were as endless as the skies. People in this town usually did not venture into the woods, though Edna did not know why, so everything possible and impossible could await her and it was hers to figure out, with the Key Master and Harvey by her side.

* * *

Back at the place where she lost a decade of her life, near the garages were Bladder and René waiting for Babbitt. Even though they managed to kidnap Lilli, Doctor Marcel still wanted them to capture Edna or her friend, preferably both. This was why these two men were inside the van, waiting for Babbitt, who was getting his golf club.  
"What do you think?", René suddenly asked.  
"What do I think about what? Be a little more precise", Bladder retorted.  
"About what Doctor Marcel's planning."  
The bald man sighed and leaned back, taking off his sunglasses and wiping them off on his shirt.  
"Well", he started after replacing them on his nose, "I think he should just forget about it and do what every psychiatrist in charge of an asylum should do. That is to treat the patients."  
"Yeah, gotta agree with you there", René nodded. "It's pointless anyway, if you ask me. She's going to find a way out sooner or later. And where's that Babbitt? He can't be taking this long to find his golf club. Why does he need it anyway? Is he expecting to play a game of mini golf on our way?"  
Bladder chortled to himself just as Babbitt appeared at last.  
"Sorry, Anes was holding me up", he apologized as he got into the vehicle. His two colleagues and friends nodded in acknowledgement and René started the car to yet another journey to Edna's new hometown. Although none said it out loud, they could all imagine doing other, more productive and exciting, things than chasing after an elusive young woman. One could hardly call it an 'obsession' anymore, the way Doctor Marcel wanted to act vengeance on her. It was more like madness than anything. His neglect of the patients led him to hire guards who tended to treat the patients like they were nothing but worthless vermin. While those three in the van would never say of themselves they were the nicest persons to the loonies, they could at least say for themselves that they treated them like humans. The conversation Babbitt had with Amy once certainly helped in this regard, though there were times they could not help but to make fun of the patients.  
"Anyone remember the address we're supposed to go to?", René questioned when they reached the town, where Edna was supposed to be home.  
"I have the address on a piece of paper in my pocket", Babbitt piped up. "I even wrote the directions down."  
"Then give them to us, lest we miss Edna again and have to come here a third time", Bladder demanded. The small man gave one nod and he took a small piece of paper from his pockets. He began reading aloud like he was a GPS system. It was not long until they arrived at an apartment complex, where Edna's friend, and hopefully Edna herself, was home. Babbitt and Bladder got out of the van the moment after René parked and headed for the mailboxes, scanning them to find either the name "Kemmer" or "Konrad". The heavyset man soon found the former name and on which floor she lived. The only problem now was to get inside this building.  
"Maybe we should just ring the bell?", René, who joined them a minute ago, suggested. However, before any of them could respond or even contemplate the matter, an elderly woman opened the door, holding it open when she spotted the three young men.  
"Would the three young gentlemen like to come in?", she asked with a kind smile.  
"Yes, thank you, ma'am", Bladder replied for them all. He rushed over to the door and held it open, so that the old lady did not have to do this and could go on her way. Babbitt and René hurried into the building as soon as the woman was gone; Bladder followed closely behind. Up the elevator they went until they reached the right floor. Soon, they would be a step closer to Edna and this pointless chase would have an ending. It was kind of a general agreement between these three guards that they were sick and tired of having to chase her. For all Babbitt, Bladder and René cared, the girl and her blue rabbit could just stay away. None of them really knew why Doctor Marcel hated her so much, they all started to work for him after Edna was brought to the asylum, with Bladder working there the longest.  
"Looks much better than my first apartment", Babbitt muttered to himself. René gave him a weird look:  
"How can you know? We weren't even inside one of these apartments."  
"The hallways here might as well be part of a mansion compared to where I first lived after moving out of my parents' house. It was more like a dump than anything."  
René waited until Babbitt had his back turned to him before he shared a look with Bladder. Then he raised his index finger on level with his temple and did a quick circular motion with it. Bladder responded with his shoulders moving up and down as he silently snickered. Babbitt, oblivious to all of this, went farther down the hall until he spotted two name tags at a door. One was "Kemmer" and the other was "Konrad". In one swift movement, he turned around and waved his two brunettes over. Both were at his side in a few quick strides.  
"Who would have thought these two would really live under the same roof?", René remarked a little dumbfounded. "So, who's gonna ring?"  
"The one who asks so stupidly", Babbitt retorted. René gave him an annoyed look but nevertheless rang the bell. A minute or two passed before the door opened and a young chubby woman revealed herself. She frowned at the three men:  
"Yes? Can I help you?"  
"Hello, miss. We're looking for Miss Edna Konrad", René said in the most polite voice he could muster. "Is she here?"  
"Sorry, no. She went out a few hours ago and it's unlikely she'll be back until the evening", the young woman explained.  
"That's a shame", René replied.  
"Yeah, you would need to find another way to get in contact with her", the only female in the small group shrugged.  
"Oh, we already have one", Babbitt responded with a malicious grin while taking out his golf club. The woman took a cautious step back. Babbitt raised his sports equipment and brought it down on her head, only she managed to jump back and avoid it with such agility that one would not expect from someone who did not look like an athlete. However, it was all for naught since Bladder and René had taken out their blowpipes, which were filled with the anesthetics darts and they each blew one at her, knocking her out.  
"And how are we going to get her to the van without being seen by anyone?", René questioned. He, Bladder and Babbitt stared at each other clueless, not having thought that part of the plan. There had to be a way to get out of this building without being seen by the neighbors, otherwise they would surely be in trouble with the police. If they were caught, they could explain it was their employer's plan, in theory. But in reality, they knew it was pointless; Doctor Marcel would just deny it.  
"Maybe Babbitt could carry her and me and Bladder give cover him by walking in front and behind him?", René suggested, earning a shocked look from the mini golf enthusiast.  
"No way! She is much bigger and heavier than I am!", he exclaimed.  
"Guys, the darts' effect won't last forever. I'll just carry her", Bladder said in an admonishing tone and picked her up. He left the apartment, with Babbitt and René hurrying after him and slamming the door behind them. Bladder went down the hall to the elevator in large confident strides. If he feared he would be seen, he did not show it. Both René and Babbitt were astounded by the heavyset man's boldness. Normally, when they were not busy with pointless hunting, they would only see a Bladder with an affinity for watching television and with the tendency to sit on the toilet for hours on no end.  
The elevator's silvery gray metal door slid open, fortunately revealing no one inside it. The three men and the unconscious woman entered the small cabin, René pressed the button for the ground floor and down they went. Lady Luck seemed to smile upon them, for the elevator did not stop until they reached their destination. No wanting to push their good fortune, they hurried out the elevator and the building and to the vehicle waiting for them outside the building. René opened the cargo door of the van and Bladder disposed the unconscious prisoner in there before following her. Babbitt got onto the driver's seat and René on the passenger's seat. Hoping they would not have to go for another hunt, they drove back to the asylum.

* * *

While Tina was being kidnapped, Edna explored the forest with the Key Master as her companion. So far, they found nothing particularly interesting, not even the skeleton of a recently deceased animal. Still, they only covered a rather small part of the forest and thus, there was still hope they could find something. But first, a little break since both Edna and the Key Master had been walking for hours. Edna plopped down under a tree and took a big swig from her beverage. She leaned her head against the tree trunk and watched the leaves of the treetop gently swaying the breeze. The Key Master joined her silently and just sat there, doing nothing but to observe their surroundings. Edna knew he glanced at her once in a while but she said nothing about this. It was not like he was watching her change her clothes or showering. There was nothing wrong with two friends sitting all alone under a tree and doing nothing. Edna realized because of the emptiness in her stomach that she was hungry. She took her cell phone out and took a look at the screen, noting it was way past noon.  
"If you want to go home and eat lunch, then you're free to do so", the Key Master said. "The last thing I want for you is to collapse from starvation."  
Edna could not really tell whether he was being sarcastic or not with his last sentence but she nevertheless decided it would be better to assent to his offer. If she were to collapse, the Key Master would have to carry her and she seriously doubted it would be a good idea only shortly after he removed his arm from the sling. No, he could carry her when his arm was in a better condition. But Edna still had to agree with Anika, it would be better if he went to a hospital yet at the same time, she could not blame him for being so cautious and wanting to avoid going there. So far, he had been lucky and no one realized who he really was. But who was to say that it would always be like this?  
"Yeah, we could come back here later", Edna decided and stood up. She dusted herself off while adding: "I'll be going now, see you later... Unless you want to join me for lunch?"  
"Well, I've been feeling a little hungry myself, so the answer is yes", the Key Master replied as he rose to his feet. He signaled to her to lead the way with a simple nod of his head. Edna took his hand in one of her own hands and, holding a flashlight in the other, guided him and herself through the woods. She made sure that they did not walk through stinging nettles or any other plant that could possibly be harmful. Like Tina, Anika and her sister Amy would not be around, although in their case it was because they would be going to the United States. If she thought about it, everyone of her friends was going somewhere for a few weeks. Only she stayed home. But she guessed it was okay, she had the Key Master to keep her company and she had to keep an eye on him just in case.  
"By the way, you don't have to worry about my housemate", Edna spoke up as they got closer to a familiar part of the forest. "She is visiting her parents this week. I wouldn't be surprised if she was already on her way."  
"In other words, you have your apartment all to yourself", the Key Master remarked.  
"Not completely, I still have Harvey, although...", Edna trailed off and fell silent. She felt the Key Master's green eyes on her as they walked the path they had so often tread upon for almost two months.  
"Although?", he repeated quietly, with a hint of curiosity layering his voice.  
"We don't seem to be getting along like we used to anymore... At first, I thought it only started recently but... when I think about it, we might have drifted apart years ago..."  
Edna heaved a heavy sigh. She felt bad for it, even if it was not her fault. She knew she had grown up while Harvey would perpetually remain a child. Still, it did not stop her from feeling bad. Harvey was after all the only link she had to happier times, when her only worries were of Alfred ratting on her.  
"Really? I thought you two were inseparable", the Key Master replied. He tried to hide it but Edna could nevertheless hear the astonishment in his voice.  
"I want to say we are and that he and I would always be together but I feel something had changed after I lost him..."  
"Lost him?"  
Edna gazed at the Key Master and confirmed with a nod before proceeding to remind him how it happened.  
"Ah yes, I forgot", he remarked when she got to the part about her losing her blue lagomorph. By the time she had finished recounting the situation, they had reached the Key Master's house, where Edna had left Harvey. The clouds had become an even darker shade of gray. No words were exchanged between the two humans, none of them took another step the moment she stopped talking. She could not bring herself to want to go on any further. She was too worried about having offended Harvey by leaving him behind.  
"Do you think my friendship with Harv ended when I lost him all those years ago?", she asked the Key Master almost inaudibly.  
"I doubt it", he replied. "You didn't mean to lose him from what I could gather. You were in a hurry and in panic, there's no reason for him to end his friendship with you. And don't forget, you're constantly growing and learning; you go through changes in life while he would always remain the same."  
"You got a point there. He still wanted to cause mayhem even when we were back home while I didn't want to. I mean, it was my home after all; I wanted everything to stay intact", Edna explained, her voice rising in her passion. She fell silent as she remembered the state of her childhood home. Back then when she finally arrived home, a wave of euphoria and sadness had washed over her. It had felt so good to be back in the house she grew up in and yet, its bedraggled, mildewed state depressed her – because it showed her how much time had passed and how much had changed, as well as the house's symbolism of her having no family left. Harvey's suggestions of defiling or even destroying objects in her old place of residence were just so wrong. Edna could never bring herself to do that... except to the garden gnomes.  
Her train of thought came to a sudden halt when she felt herself being unexpectedly pulled close to the Key Master. The moment her body came in contact with his, he put one arm around her waist while the other was around one of her shoulders, going up her neck, so that his hand rested on the back of her head. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, though she felt baffled and her facial expression showed it.  
"Wha- wh...?", she stammered.  
"Thought you could need a hug", the Key Master explained. Edna's expression of bafflement changed into a peaceful, tiny smile. She closed her eyes in content as she enjoyed the physical contact with him.  
"Kind of out of character for you, isn't it?", Edna remarked; even she was surprised by the amusement in her voice.  
"Perhaps", he agreed. She could hear a hint of amusement in his voice, too. "Or it's just a side of me you don't know."  
"If this is, then I like it... much better than your murdering side", the young woman mumbled before being suddenly pushed away from the man who was embracing her.  
"Edna, do you remember my reasons for finding you?", the Key Master unexpectedly asked her, holding her by her shoulders and staring intently into her purple eyes. Edna lost herself into his green eyes. She could gaze into them for hours and never get tired of them. There was so much to see, all the emotions he was feeling, whether it was happiness or sadness, anger or excitement, even the insanity that was at times hidden in his eyes and something she could not put her finger on. His eyes would look softer and he often had this look when he had his eyes on her.  
"Yes", Edna confirmed. "You said you wanted to kill me first but then, you lost the desire and just wanted to see how I was doing..."  
"This wasn't the complete truth, there was something I neglected mentioning", the Key Master whispered. Edna tilted her head, looking at him with big, confused eyes. "You once said to me 'but everybody has the right to freedom'. I never forgot those words because this was the first time since I ended up in the asylum that I had hope for a life outside confinement. You were the first person to make me feel this way; it just took me some time to realize this all. I wanted to find you because I knew you would give me a chance to show you I can change. I don't want to be seen as an insane murderer anymore. I never wanted people to see me as this..."  
"But you still killed a person, even if he harassed me once he didn't deserve this fate...", Edna turned away from the Key Master and stared down to her feet. Her eyes were filled with tears. Was it because of what he said? Or because he succumbed to the urge he had been fighting for so long? Could she ever trust him of not killing anyone again? She heard him sigh.  
"I know and I regret it", he forlornly said. "And I can't guarantee it won't ever happen again but I can promise you I will do my best to try to not let it happen again."  
Edna did not move a muscle, she thought about what he just said. He sounded like he really regretted of what he did and he was honest, she had to give that to him. He did not make an empty promise of never doing it again; "try" was the key word in this case. This was the best she could hope for.  
"I don't wanna be mad at you or refuse to see you for some time again", Edna turned around and embraced him. "I got too accustomed to your presence, to your voice, to your face."  
She felt how he once again wrapped his arms around her. He pressed her closer to his body. His warmth made her feel right at home, like she belonged here with him. Was this perhaps the right time to admit her feelings to him? There was nothing that spoke against it. So, she leaned back and spoke up:  
"Uh, you should know that I... t-that I..."  
Her heart rate increased, words failed her. She felt like she had a giant lump in her throat. No, she could not say it. Not yet.  
"... that I forgive you", Edna finished. Why could she not say what she actually wanted to confess? What made it so difficult to tell him she had a crush on him? She was an adult and not some teenage girl.  
"I'm glad to know", the Key Master responded. "How about we get Harvey now and then go somewhere to eat lunch?"  
Edna nodded in agreement. Even if she still had not confessed her feelings for him, she still felt a lot of better after a lot of unsaid things were revealed. As she and the Key Master headed for his house, it began to drizzle. A gentle, light summer rain that would make one sing and dance.


	19. A Little Role-Play

Yay, new chapter! I decided to return to _Hoth Motigor_ because I liked this part in HNE. Since I gave Tina Terra Branford's Japanese name, I chose to give her character for the role-play Terra's English name, but her backstory is based on Celes Chere's (also from _Final Fantasy VI_ ).

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 **A Little Role-Play**

Doctor Marcel, along with Anes, already awaited his three employees who were just returning from their second attempt of kidnapping Edna. Babbitt stopped the car a few meters before the two men; Doctor Marcel saw him looking to the back of the van and saying something to someone. A moment later, the door at the back of the vehicle opened and yet after another moment, Bladder appeared with an unconscious chubby girl in his arms. Babbitt and René got out of the car as soon as the heavyset man stood in front of their employer and Anes. The latter scrutinized the blond woman with a critical eye.  
"And who is this?", he inquired. "I was expecting a dark haired woman!"  
"I would like to know this myself", Doctor Marcel remarked quietly with a hint of rage in his voice. "Edna couldn't have changed this much, could she?"  
"Sir, this is the girl I saw in Edna's company when she was last in the village", Babbitt explained. "The owner of that car with that license plate number you've given me weeks ago."  
Comprehension dawned on Doctor Marcel's face after he heard the explanation. Gears were turning in his head while he examined the young woman. She could be of use for him, no doubt about it. Besides, he did order to have her kidnapped if they could not get Edna. A malicious grin formed on his face.  
"Bring her to the others in the recreation room, and then meet me in my office", he instructed. He and Anes left the three men and the only woman among them alone. Babbitt, Bladder and René shared an apprehensive look. They would be going to this town again, would they? Their employer certainly did not look happy but his grin was even scarier. Whatever he had planned, it could not be good for the sleeping girl...

* * *

Meanwhile, Doctor Marcel rolled up to his office with Anes by his side. If his three employees outside would not prove themselves as incompetent after he told them of his plan, then he might be able to make Edna pay for everything soon. It would only be a matter of time. Anes departed from the doctor when they reached the floor with the dormitories to check up on a few special patients. Doctor Marcel continued on his way alone. He did not need help, most of the time, despite being old and disabled. Just because he lost the ability to use his legs several years ago did it not mean he had to rely on others for every tiny microscopic thing. Doctor Marcel nodded at the guard, who was keeping watch at the cell door that led to the padded room where Edna spent ten years of her life. He arrived at his office a minute later, only to be surprised to find a young man with a paper bag covering his face standing behind his desk.  
"What is it that you want, Ruben?", Doctor Marcel growled at his oldest son as he got to the back of his desk.  
"I only wanted to know if I could help with your plan?", Ruben asked. With his single working eye, the old man gave him a good once-over.  
"We'll see", he eventually replied. "Now, get out or hide before my minions arrive!"  
Ruben gave a quick nod and rushed for the closet, which he used as a hiding place. And not a moment too soon for the sound of a fist connecting to the wood of the door resonated through the room.  
"Enter", Doctor Marcel called. The door opened and Anes, Babbitt, Bladder and René filed in like geese. They all stopped in front of him, each of them having an expression that showed curiosity in their faces.  
"Now then, I want you all to wait for a few days and keep an eye on the newbie and Lilli. Let those who are close to them dangle. Then let Edna know we are holding her friends hostage. If she's a good friend, she would come and try to liberate them", Doctor Marcel instructed. "Be prepared for her arrival and don't let her fool you again. Get it?"  
He directed the last two sentences to Babbitt, Bladder and René, all of whom had been tricked by Edna on the day she escaped. All three saluted and said together:  
"Aye, sir!"  
"But doctor, how can you be so sure she's going to come?", Babbitt questioned. "What if her friends escape before she comes for their rescue?"  
"That's why you all are going to keep a close eye on them", Doctor Marcel replied, deliberately ignoring the other question. Even he was unsure about this, it was all speculation based on Edna's friendship with those two females. For all he knew, he could be completely wrong but he would not admit out loud to anyone present. He still had his pride.  
"Dismissed."

* * *

The meteorological conditions had worsened from a gentle summer rain to a downpour, much to Edna's disappointment. It was not like she hated the rain or the way how muddy the ground became but she tended to catch colds when it was raining cats and dogs and this was the last thing she wanted. Therefore she sat on her bed, her stomach full of meatloaf leftovers she and the Key Master were eating half an hour ago, and continued finding out more about her earliest years of life from her parents' diaries. While eating, she invited him over to a sleepover once again. Now the Key Master had left for his hideout to get his things. Edna listened closely while reading for the sound of the door opening – the Key Master still had a spare key, after all. Every now and then, her eyes flickered to Harvey, expecting him to say something about her having the Key Master over. But no words came out of the terry cloth rabbit's mouth. Was he perhaps so pissed off that he had no words to describe his feelings? At times like these she worried he did not want to be friends with her anymore but then she thought of her earlier conversation with the Key Master. Even if Harvey was mad at her, it did not mean their friendship was done for. Plenty of friends had fights and were mad at each other and yet, they still remained friends and forgave each other. So, why should it not be the same for them? Edna's eyes traveled back to the lavender blue diary in her hands:

 _April 30th, 1992_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I noticed a little boy around Edna's age and an older boy playing in Doctor Marcel's yard. When I asked him, he told me that he was married once but got divorced before his ex-wife discovered her second pregnancy. It was actually her who took care and raised little Alfred and Ruben (those are the boys' names) but she died in a car crash just recently. I know how it feels to lose someone that way, so I showed sympathy. But he did not seem to care; he showed no sign of sadness or anything. I just hope that this is his way of coping with the pain..._

 _Anyway, I invited little Alfred over to play with Edna – Ruben had run away. They got along pretty well and played for hours to no end. It was just adorable! I could imagine them becoming the best of friends._

Edna could not remember how she first met Alfred; she only knew that she had known him for almost as long as she had Harvey. It was nice to read how they met. Still, the lack of emotion on Doctor Marcel's part over the death of his ex-wife should have clued in on her mother that he was an evil man. Even if they were divorced, he could have shown a little grief over her passing away. In Edna's opinion, only evil and emotionless people did not grieve when they lost a loved one. Shaking her head in disgust over the old man's behavior from over twenty years ago, she took the diary with the brown leather cover and opened the page with the same date:

 _April 30th, 1992_

 _Vivian came back with a little boy after her short visit to our neighbor's house. She told me it was Doctor Marcel's son. Didn't know he had a son or that he was married. I always thought he would remain an old, grumpy, unmarried man. Guess I was wrong. But whatever, Edna was playing with her rag doll rabbit and her elephant in the sandbox when Alfred joined in. They had a lot of fun building sandcastles, although they usually grumbled after about five seconds. Vivian thinks they look cute together and I, for one, can't disagree._

Edna recalled her tempomorphing experience when she finally reached her old room in her old house on the night of her escape. She was looking for Mattis to keep an eye on him, to make sure he really was not Alfred's murderer. She found him sitting under the umbrella with Doctor Marcel on the porch. Mattis mentioned he thought that both children would make a nice couple and that he could see them being together in the future. Had he been of this opinion ever since the day Edna and Alfred first met? Maybe if things had gone differently, they both would really be together. What would Mattis say if he were still alive and knew his daughter had a crush on someone other than Alfred? Especially since the object of her affection was a known murderer... But who could control their feelings?  
Edna decided not to think too much about this. Those were all things she could not change and she had to accept this. So, she kept on reading about how she played almost every day with Alfred and how she spent a lot of time with her parents. She read about happier times she could not remember since she was too young back then. It filled her with joy but it also depressed her to see the written words about things she could never regain. But what she could get back were happy times, not necessarily the same as in her childhood. All she had to do was to work towards it... but first, she was being lazy by closing the diaries and taking Tina's PlayStation Portable and commencing to play.

* * *

The Key Master had just finished packing his stuff; glad he could spend a night, or several, in an actual home and eat something other than sandwiches, like the meatloaf he had earlier. His only complaint about it was that it was leftover that were just heated up in a microwave and not freshly made. Still, it was better to have consumed something different, so he did not cry or throw a temper tantrum because of this. Besides, it would be childish. He left the house and walked over the field into the woods. He trod upon the road he and Edna had walked on almost every day since he came here. They both knew the way by heart, unlike the rest of the forest. Heavy raindrops pelted down through the treetops on him and on the ground, leaving it muddy. It was kind of expected, seeing how overcast the skies were. Only he would prefer if the downpour had waited until he had reached his destination. Gene Kelly might think differently but the Key Master was certainly not in the mood to sing and dance. All he wanted was to get out of the rain and take a warm bath. This was why he hurried up to get to Edna's apartment as fast as possible.  
The Key Master arrived at his destination at last and used the key Edna had given him to quickly unlock the door. He used the elevator to get to the right floor and not even five minutes later, he unlocked the apartment door before entering.  
"Hello? Princess?", he called after closing the door behind him. He heard the sound of another door opening as he walked towards the living room. When he arrived there, he found Edna standing there, with a black object in her hands. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was wet to the skin.  
"Do you mind if I take a warm bath in your bathroom?", the Key Master requested.  
"Not at all, go ahead", she replied. "I'll be in my room, so you know where to find me when you're done."  
"Okay", he nodded and went with his stuff into the bathroom. There he filled the bathtub with water, not too hot but also not too cold, just the right temperature. The Key Master stripped off his dripping wet clothes and hung them over the heater. He turned the tab off once the tub was full and added bubble bath. Then he got into the water container, leaned back and relaxed. The warmness felt like heaven to his hypothermic skin. It had been too long since he last relaxed in a bathtub; he had almost forgotten this marvelous feeling. It was amazing how granted people took things like these while other would not even dare to dream about such luxury. He could consider himself lucky that he had the possibility to shower in his hideout, even though it was still unnecessarily complicated. However, it was better than smelling like a walking dump.  
The Key Master decided it was enough relaxation in a bathtub that was not his after an hour and half had passed. He got out of the tub and removed the plug. While the water went down the drain, he dried himself off before opening his bag and taking out some fresh clothes. The Key Master got dressed and then emerged from the bathroom with his bag in hand. On his way over to Edna's room, he left the object next to the couch. A second later, he stood in front of her bedroom door; he raised his fist and pounded a few times on the wooden surface.  
"Come in", came from the other side almost immediately. He pushed the handle down and opened the door to enter his friend's room, who he found sitting on the bed, still with the same black object in her hands and pushing buttons. She glanced up from it and greeted him with a smile.  
"Take a seat wherever you want", she invited him. The Key Master decided to sit next to her on her bed; he wanted to know what the thing she was playing with was. He looked over her shoulder to see she was controlling a black haired man clad completely in black. The character had a giant sword in his hand – the Key Master wondered if it was compensating for something – and he was battling a couple of floating fireballs with angry faces. Under the screen were the letters 'PSP', left to the screen was a directional pad and a joystick and on the right side were four circular buttons.  
"What does 'PSP' stand for?", the Key Master asked.  
"PlayStation Portable", Edna replied. She paused the game and turned her head to look at him. "I reckon you remember the first PlayStation console?"  
"Yes, I do. Even had one", the Key Master confirmed. It was the first console he bought for himself from his own money after saving up for at least a year. When he was not working or spending tine with his girlfriend or friends, he spent a lot of time playing on it. He had a lot of fun with it, even though he did not have many games since buying those were not on his priority list. Perhaps he could have called more games his own if certain circumstances had not occurred. But it did not matter; it was not like he could get his old console and the respective games back. He would never get any of his old possession back; he could only get new stuff.  
"I never had one, Mattis didn't have the money to afford one and I would have needed to save pocket money for several years before I had enough together", Edna responded. "This here is actually Tina's but she lent it to me."  
"And how is the game you're playing? Whatever it is...", the Key Master wanted to know. Edna took a brief look at the handheld console in her hand and then back at him before replying:  
"Oh, it's just the prequel of an old game for the original PlayStation; it's actually fun to play once you get the hang of it."  
She went back to the video game and continued playing with him watching.

* * *

A small group of people – consisting of Petra, the Beeman, Max, Professor Nock and Maestro Frank – gathered around the unconscious woman lying on the couch in the television room. Earlier they had watched Bladder bringing her in.  
"Two newbies in two days! Isn't it exciting!?", Petra exclaimed in her perpetually happy way.  
"I'm more concerned about it. What if Doctor Marcel sent Bladder out to capture people, no matter whether they are actually crazy or not", the Beeman replied calmly, in a stark contrast to Petra's excitement.  
"And who says this is a human? It could also be a Velociraptor... an overweight Velociraptor", Professor Nock piped up. The Beeman stared incredulously at the dinosaur obsessed man and Max said something none of them could understand, though it was evident that his voice was full of sarcasm. The professor seemed to see extinct reptile about everywhere, to the point that it was getting ridiculous. Before the bald man in bee costume could make a comment came a groan from the unconscious woman.  
"Ugh, wha' happened?", she mumbled as her eyes flickered open. "Last I remember are three men at my apartment door..."  
She slowly sat up, holding her head as if she had a headache. She did not seem to have registered that five people were gathered around her.  
"Are you human or a dino disguised as a human?", Professor Nock suddenly asked. The newbie turned her head sideways and stared at the five people. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped in astonishment. Then she moved her head around as she took in her surroundings. First, she looked at the green couch she was sitting on, then her eyes traveled to the shelf, where a small potted plant and an ugly ashtray from occupational therapy stood on, above her. Afterwards she turned her upper body around to see a green chair behind her before she looked at the ceiling lamp with a drawing of Pumuckl attached to it. On the opposite wall, she saw a television set, where a superhero movie was shown, and a big potted plant in a corner. In the end, her eyes were back on the five people around her, confusion written all over her face.  
"Are you human or a dino disguised as a human?", Professor Nock repeated.  
"Uh what? What kind of question is that?", the stranger asked, looking weirdly at him. Suddenly, Petra pushed Professor Nock away and vigorously shook the newbie's hand with a big, toothy grin on her face.  
"Hi, I'm Petra!", she introduced herself excitedly. "What's your name?"  
"Uh, my name's Tina Kemmer", she replied, somewhat dumbfounded. She looked at each of them. "And you guys are...?"  
"I'm Professor Nock, local dinosaur expert", the old man with the hair-do reminiscence of Albert Einstein replied. "You don't happen to know where I can find dino DNA, do you?"  
Tina stared strangely at him, obviously at a loss for words.  
"Don't mind him. I am known as the Beeman", the bald man said, shaking Tina's hand. Then he pointed at the man next to him: "And this is Maximillian, but we call him Max."  
"And I am Maestro Frank! I am the reincarnation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart!", the last one introduced himself pompously.  
"Uh, nice to meet y'all", Tina replied, still baffled. Once again she looked around. "Uh, where am I?"  
"You're in an asylum for the mentally unstable", the Beeman answered calmly. Tina jumped up, exclaiming:  
"What!?"  
She started to pace around the room, like a wild animal trapped in a cage. She made erratic gestures with her hands and arms.  
"What am I even doing here? I'm not mad! There's no reason for me to be here!"  
The Beeman, Petra, Max, Professor Nock and Maestro Frank watched her as she continued pacing and ranting about how she should not be here and that she was about to visit her parents. After a while, she plopped back on the couch with a heavy sigh and shook her head.  
"If it's any consolation to you, the head of the asylum is mad and would do anything to find a certain former patient", Maestro Frank explained. "At least that's what I heard. They –"he gestured at the Beeman, Petra and Professor Nock "– know more about this."  
Tina, who was sitting down again and was looking at Maestro Frank, turned her attention towards the other three he gestured at, wordlessly asking them for an answer. It was the man clad in a bee costume who gave a response:  
"A few years ago, there was a mass breakout – five patients escaped. One of them was a girl who the head of this institution had a personal vendetta against. As far as I know, she had something to do with the death of his son."  
"The story sounds kind of familiar...", they all heard Tina mumble, more to herself than to them.  
"You're the second girl who was kidnapped by Doctor Marcel's minions", Petra commented as cheerful as though she was announcing that she would have an important role in a cult series. Tina frowned at her:  
"I'm... the second one? And did you just say Doctor Marcel?"  
"Yes and yes", Petra confirmed.  
"Are you all telling me that Doctor Marcel wants to catch a girl, who escaped from this asylum a few years ago and who had something to do with the death of his son, and by doing so, he won't hesitate to kidnap other people?", Tina questioned.  
"Pretty much", Professor Nock shrugged. Tina's eyes widened and once again she jumped up.  
"Edna!", she exclaimed. "He's trying to get her back here! Where's the other person who was kidnapped? Maybe there's a connection between this person and me."  
"Well, the only things you two have in common are your gender and hair color", the Beeman replied. "But I can still take you to her. I think she's playing a board game."  
Tina nodded before following him out of the television room, with Petra, Max, Professor Nock and Maestro Frank in tow. He led them to the biggest room on this floor and headed straight to a table, where a group of people were huddled together as they played a board game. A little away from them was a blond girl with pigtails, who supported her head with her arms and watched with a bored expression on her face.  
"Hoo-hoo, Lilli!", Petra called, waving at the girl. The little girl turned her head towards the group of people approaching her, then she swiveled her whole body on the chair so that she could look directly at them.  
"Yes? What is it?", she asked when they all stood in front of her.  
"There's someone here who would like to meet you", the Beeman explained and stepped aside to reveal Tina. Both girls stared at each other slack-jawed and with wide eyes.  
"You!?", they exclaimed simultaneously, pointing with their index fingers at each other.  
"Oh, isn't this nice? They already know each other", Petra commented happily.  
"We bumped into each other once", Tina explained, frowning at the overly cheery woman before turning her attention back to Lilli: "So, Doctor Marcel had you kidnapped too? But why? Is there a connection between us?"  
"Well, when you answered your phone, I heard you say the name Edna. Does she happen to be Edna Konrad?", the younger girl questioned. Tina nodded and went on to explain:  
"She's my housemate and friend."  
"Then maybe she is the connection between us. Edna used to be my roommate in the convent school and she is also my friend, even if we haven't seen each other in years."  
Tina took a chair and sat down on it, her five followers did the same.  
"Edna mentioned that she hid out in a convent school for three years before she moved in with me", the chubby blond woman said. "She told me she had a friend there. So, you must this friend. This Lilli... Right?"  
"Yes, I am", she confirmed. Before either of the blondes could say anything else, the sound of a fanfare resonated throughout the recreation room. Everybody turned their attention towards the cushion castle next to the windows, where a tall dark haired man with a purple pillow on his head stood guard.  
"Drogglejug!", he announced and stepped aside. Another man, also dark haired, emerged from the pillow castle. He wore gray casual suits and wore a bucket on his head as if this was a crown.  
"It is time to enter the mysterious and legendary world of _Hoth Motigor_! Who will be the brave warriors, ready to defend their home from evil?", he announced pompously in a booming voice. In a flash, everyone but a small group rushed out, only Petra, the Beeman, Lilli and Tina, who stared around in confusion, remained.  
"Ah, here are my proud and brave warriors!", the man clad in gray said, still in the same voice.  
"Does he always talk like he consumed a thousand ham sandwiches?", Tina whispered to her companions. "Who is he anyway?"  
"That's Adrian, king of the recreation room", Petra whispered. "And the other man there is Drogglejug; he's as eloquent as he's attractive."  
Tina gave Petra a weird look when King Adrian's eyes fell on her. He strode towards the group, his eyes fixated on the newbie.  
"Ah, a new subject! Who might this fair maiden be?"  
All Tina did was to make a dumbfounded face.

* * *

The downpour had turned into a thunderstorm. The skies growled and howled like it was in a rage. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark sky in a blindingly white light. Stormy clouds chased people back to their homes, to the warmth and dryness of their beds. Among them were Edna and the Key Master, only that they sat on the couch in her living room reading _Captain Useless_ comics and with two steaming mugs, one filled with tea and the other with hot chocolate, standing on the coffee table. There was nothing on television that piped their interest and neither of them was in the mood for a movie or a video game. Thus, it left them with reading with one of Edna's CD providing background music.  
"As soon as the rain stops, I'm going outside to get myself dirty in the mud", Edna announced, closing the comic she had in her hands and taking the next issue.  
"Or you could go to a spa and take a mud bath", the Key Master responded.  
"Hm nah", Edna shrugged, opening the comic issue she was holding. "I think mud outside is more fun."  
She began reading _Captain Useless Against Currywurst Breather_. The opponent was a guy who overfed himself with currywurst and tended to belch quite a lot and who liked to squirt curry sauce on about everything. In one panel, he knocked Captain Useless out by burping right into his face and in the next panel he proceeded to decorate the Honk Mobile with curry sauce. It was up to Handy Boy to have the vehicle cleaned. In the end, Captain Useless captured the Currywurst Breather by learning to hold his breath long enough to not be affected by the unpleasant smell and by having Handy Boy force feeding him a peppermint while Captain Useless disarmed the opponent with a grappling hook.  
"Aren't you going anywhere this summer?", the Key Master suddenly asked after finishing the issue he was reading.  
"Why? Hoping to secretly live here without anyone knowing?", Edna retorted with cheeky grin on her face. She threw _Captain Useless Against Currywurst Breather_ on the ever growing piles of read comics. Then she leaned forward to the coffee table, took her mug and drank from her hot, brown beverage. It was only after her container for liquids was back on the table did she answer the question: "But no, I'm not going anywhere on vacation. I wouldn't know where and I could mostly likely not afford it. And I don't have any family members left I could visit... well, not any I know of."  
"I know how that feels...", the Key Master responded in an unusually crestfallen voice. However, it was back to its normal tone a second later: "At least you don't have to keep hidden, you can just go on with life and have a job."  
"Yeah, I'm actually surprised that no one realized my identity", Edna remarked with a shrug. "Maybe it's the same case with you?"  
"I highly doubt it. People would most likely recognize me because of my unusual skin color", the Key Master replied. "Besides, as far as I recall, you were the one who insisted I hide out in a little house behind a forest near this town because no one ever ventures out there to, only to later try to convince me to go out in town. I'm kind of failing to see the logic."  
"Well, when we first met each other again after years, I thought it would be for the best to keep you hidden. But when I realized that no one recognized me, I figured it could be the same with you. That's why I tried to persuade you to go among people, so that you won't have to be alone all day long anymore", Edna tried to explain. She knew her explanation made no sense at all and everything about it was like one big weak excuse. "But you actually did go to town once in a while. I guess nothing we do makes any sense. A Vulcan would have a field day pointing out how illogical our actions are."  
"And this human here is pointing out that you watch too much _Star Trek_ ", the Key Master smirked. Edna stuck her tongue out at him.  
"But I think there are worse things one could watch too much", he added. "Like bland love films where the characters are even more one dimensional than cardboard cutouts."  
"Like _Twilight_?", Edna suggested. She was met with a confused look. "Just be happy you don't know this franchise."  
"I'll just take your word for it", the Key Master responded. He threw the comic he was reading on the pile of read issues too. "But do you have any suggestions what else we could do? I'm not quite in the mood for comics the whole evening."  
"Well, what do you propose we do?", the female member of the species homo sapiens retorted. Admittedly, she was also getting tired of just reading comics. "I mean it's still raining... Are we still on Earth or are we on Ferenginar?"  
"If we've taken on art as hobby, then why don't we do something artistic?"  
She eyed him thoughtfully; the sentence "he has a point" kept running around in her mind. There was no reason they could not draw or work with clay, only their own creativity was the limit. So, she sprang up and hurried to her room to get the materials.

* * *

While Edna got her things from her room, the Key Master decided to make himself useful and put the stack of comics neatly back into the box they were stored in. Then he put the box right next to the couch, so that none of them would trip over it. He sat back down on the couch just as Edna came back with her sketch-pads, pencils and erasers, which she all put on the coffee table right next to the mugs.  
"If you want to do something with clay, just tell me", she said as she sat back down again.  
"I'm fine with drawing", the Key Master replied before taking the mug that was filled with tea and drank it all up. "I don't even have an idea what to make. I might have one if I were more talented but I'm not, so I won't even attempt it."  
He watched Edna, who had already a sketch-pad on her lap and busily drew something. She, oblivious to his eyes on her, mumbled an unintelligible response, not looking up.  
"And what would you have created?", she questioned, tugging her hair behind her ear to prevent it from frequently falling into her face.  
"I'm looking at my muse right now", the Key Master replied. The young woman put her pencil down and turned her head sideways to see what he was looking at. Her jaw dropped when she realized she was the object his dark green eyes were fixated on.  
"M-me?", she stammered, clearly baffled. He could hardly blame her. How often would someone imply or even outright state that he wanted to make a clay figure of her? He could imagine it happened hardly, if ever but maybe it had more something to do with the fact that he did not know anyone, aside from Edna, who worked with clay. Nevertheless, the Key Master was of the opinion that she would be an excellent model for a sculpture – whether big or small.  
"But why me? I'm sure there are loads of other people who would be better to immortalize", a still astounded Edna stated.  
"But you're a more memorable person", the Key Master retorted. He watched how she made big, googly eyes and how her cheeks took on a pink color. It appeared that he left her speechless.  
"W-wow, I... I'm fl-flattered... I... I don't think anyone ev-ever described me t-that w-way", Edna stuttered, playing nervously with her hair. The Key Master did not say it out loud at this moment, but he was nonetheless certain that he could never forget someone like her; no matter how often Doctor Marcel would erase his memories.  
"But you do know you can only get better at something if you do it regularly", she pointed out after she calmed herself down. "Why not make a bowl or something? As long as it's recognizable. I am still not sure what that thing on the shelf in the television room in the asylum was..."  
It sounded like she was mumbling the last part more to herself than to him. Still, the Key Master had a vague idea what she meant, having seen it the short time he worked there, if it really was the ugly, deformed ashtray. If it was, then he was amazed that they still had it on display and not replaced it by something else.  
"Perhaps you're right, but I still decide to do a drawing tonight", he stated and reached for the second sketch-pad and pencil. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Edna shrugging and going back to her picture. With the pad on his lap and the pencil in his hand, he began drawing.

* * *

If one were to come across Amy right now, they could easily confuse her with a walking volcano. A few weeks ago, she had been hired by Doctor Marcel to hold a therapy session but at the last minute, and with last minute being ten minutes ago, he canceled the session. All her preparations for naught! To think that she could have used her time for something else or to attend therapy sessions in other mental institutions made her blood boil. She could have been at home or at her sister's place the whole time and could have relaxed before she and Anika were on their plane the day after the next.  
"Amy? Shouldn't you be holding a therapy session?"  
It was Ben, who came across his girlfriend and questioned her.  
"Shouldn't you be in the surveillance room?", she retorted. Amy sighed and added: "My session got canceled and I only learned about this about ten minutes ago."  
"Oh", was all her boyfriend had to say. She saw his eyes rapidly moving around as he thought about what he could say to make her feel better. But what Ben was not aware of was that Amy usually felt better when he acted this way. She thought he looked just adorable but never told him this since he did not like to be described with this adjective. With a smile on her face, she took his hand.  
"How about I join you on your way back to the surveillance room? I could need your company", she suggested in a soft tone. Ben reciprocated her smile and pulled her close to him.  
"I would like that", he responded and gave Amy a quick kiss. Then they walked to the surveillance room, where he was supposed to be and which was deserted of any life forms. Amy was a little surprised that no one was in the room. Normally there would be at least one person present, usually Bladder, René or Ben. But if she thought about it, she had not seen the former two, as well as Babbitt for quite some time. Her first thought was that they were fired but she quickly discarded this theory; she knew they belonged to what she liked to call "Doctor Marcel's Inner Circle". Those three would have needed to do something really bad to get laid off.  
"Say, I haven't seen three of your colleagues around for quite some time", Amy stated while taking a seat. "D'you know where they are?"  
"I've seen them coming back today and yesterday from wherever they were on the monitors and both times, Bladder held an unconscious girl in his arms. Doctor Marcel went down to the archives while both girls were brought to the recreation room. I don't know what is going on but it looks all very suspicious to me", Ben whispered in a hushed voice. Amy's eyebrows furrowed as she listened to her boyfriend. It sounded like they had reason to worry that Doctor Marcel had gone even madder than he already was.  
"That's weird... Maybe I should go to the archives and see if I can find anything?", she suggested. Ben nodded in agreement.  
"Yeah, I think you should. Just be careful no one catches you there", he warned her.  
"I'll be careful", she smiled and rose to her feet. She was about to head out of the door when she stopped and looked questioningly at Ben. "The archives are in the basement, near the laundry room, right?"  
He nodded in confirmation and with a wave, she was out of the room. Amy walked down the hallway and down the stairs for several floor, only coming across Anes, who walked past her without so much as looking at her. She was glad he did not stop to interrogate her; she hated talking with him and thus spoke with him as rarely as possible. Every time she had a conversation with him, she was reminded just what heartless and inhuman kind of person he was. It was hard to believe that he was married. What kind of person would want him for a husband? There were countless other men with a much better personality. Amy shook her head in an attempt to not think about Anes anymore and went on her way.  
She reached the basement, the doors leading to the laundry room were right ahead. Turning to her left, she walked down a small set of stairs and walked through the first door she saw. Lights were switched off and there were no windows, leaving the room in a blackness that made it impossible to see the own hand in front of one's face. Amy left the door ajar, so that a bit of the light from the basement shone in the archives while she touched the wall for the light switch. She found it soon enough and pressed it, brightening up the room. After completely closing the door, she made an observation of the archives, her first thoughts being that there too many files to check out.  
"Holy shit", Amy mumbled to herself, turning around just so she did not have to look at these shelves anymore. Her eyes fell upon a small cabinet right next to the door. Curious what could be hidden in there, she walked closer to this piece of furniture and opened the upper drawer. It was filled with folders, each one marked with a name. As she skimmed through the names, she realized those were all the current patients and, upon closer inspection, she realized that none of the names were unfamiliar to her. If there really were two new patients in this asylum, then where were their folders? Had they not been made yet? This would not surprise Amy, seeing that the two new patients had only come here recently. Still, she thought Doctor Marcel might have created files on them already when he was here shortly after their respective arrivals. Wondering to herself if there was a computer in the archives and had some information on the newbies stored in it, she ventured deeper into the room. She walked past countless shelves, all of them containing files about patients, both current and former. At least Amy assumed there were former patients; there were too many folders for just the current ones. How many patients had been here? And what happened to those who were not here anymore? Were some declared clinically sane and did others die here? How many had actually managed to break out? And how long had the current patients been here? Amy knew that Edna was stuck in a solitary cell for ten years – she told her this after all the night they first met.  
"Sheesh, if Doctor Marcel had been in charge of this institution since the first patients had been brought in, I feel great sympathy for those poor souls", Amy commented, her brown eyes traveling over the shelves. That was when she noticed there really was a computer at the end of the room. She headed straight for it, not looking left or right, only stopping when she stood right in front of it. Without any hesitations, she pressed the power button and waited while the computer booted up. Soon, she would know more about what was going on here. Not long until she would uncover secrets that only Doctor Marcel's inner circle were aware of. However, it seemed that there still was one last obstacle and that was the password for the computer.  
"Fuck", Amy cursed under her breath. She took the mouse and moved the cursor on screen to the button that gave the user one single hint of what they chose for a password. If she was lucky, she could perhaps easily decipher it based on the single hint; if not... she would need to try and guess.  
"Name of Goethe's spouse?", Amy read aloud, clearly confused. "Was he even married?"  
She tried to think back to her German classes. She knew he did a lot of things in his life and worked almost all of his life on _Faust_ but she could not remember he was ever married. Maybe she had just forgotten about it. With a shrug, Amy took out her cell phone to call or message Ben, hoping he would know the answer. Unfortunately, she had little to no reception down here.  
"Seriously?", she commented, obviously not amused. "Might as well turn this fucking computer off and go back."

* * *

The coffee room was small, dark and dingy. A single ashtray was in a corner opposite of the seating area. Next to it was one single yellow chair and at the wall stood a coffee automat. Lilli was not fond of the smell in the coffee room; it smelled like someone used up several bottles of cheap perfume to cover up an unpleasant fragrance. Under the dim light of the ceiling lamp in the room sat five people in a half circle with a sixth person sitting across from them. Several books were around their Dungeon Master King Adrian. On the table were a few character sheets, a cup and dice. Lilli noted that only one person looked like she did not know what was going on and that was the newbie.  
"Uh, what am I supposed to do?", Tina questioned. Petra, who sat on her left hand side, gave her a sheet of paper.  
"First, you need to create a character to represent you", she explained joyously. Tina nodded and Lilli, along with the other four, watched her taking the book about job classes and creating her character. It took a few minutes, during which every ocular organ was on Tina, but eventually they could start with their role-play. King Adrian cleared his throat and spoke in a loud, booming voice:  
"In the mythical world of _Hoth Motigor_ , our heroes – the brave and fierce Amazonian warrior Lillegrimm, the beautiful mage Petrulla, the noble Sir Droggalot and calm animal trainer Apisor – traveled through the land on their way to free their rightful ruler and knock the fake king off his throne. Near a village, where they could restock their supplies, they met a new ally – a Magic Knight by the name of Terra. Could you describe your appearance?"  
He directed his question to Tina.  
"Uh sure", she confirmed. She cleared her throat before she began the description about her character's appearance: "Well, my character is tall and slim. She wears formfitting armor with her blond hair, which is tied up in a ponytail, hidden under her helmet. She has some piece of cloth around her waist to emulate a skirt. Her weapon of choice was a sword, which she can imbue with the power of her available spells."  
"Ah yes, pretty nice", King Adrian commented and went on with his narration.

 _~Hoth Motigor~_  
Terra used to be a high-ranking officer on the fake king's court before defecting. She was now branded as traitor and searched by her former colleagues. Knowing she could be a valuable ally for the group, she joined them but refused to say why she defected. Still, the brave warriors welcomed each and every help they could get and therefore did not question her any further. The group of five continued on to the next village, where Sir Droggalot was responsible to restock their supplies. It used to be Petrulla but she tended to buy things none of them could and would need. Meanwhile, Apisor and Lillegrimm were in the local weapon shop to replace their current weapons with better and stronger ones. That only left Petrulla and Terra, both of who wandered around town square, listening to rumors.  
 _~Hoth Motigor~_

King Adrian looked up and at the group:  
"Now, how about you two tell us what kind of rumors you hear?"  
Petra looked excited; Tina looked like she still had no idea what she was doing. The ever grinning blond woman leaned forward and told one example of rumor they were listening to:  
"How about someone met a beautiful yet fatal woman in the woods in the middle of the night? One who seduces men only to kill them and this guy barely managed to escape?"  
"She could behave like the sirens in Greek mythology. Y'know, seducing men with their singing but we females are immune and can save them", Tina contributed. "And how about rumors of two lone travelers, both of who could join the heroes towards the end of their journey?"  
"They would have to be NPCs then, unless we find two additional players", King Adrian commented.  
"Drogglejug!"  
"Yes, you are right, my good man. The idea is good enough to be incorporated into the role-play", the king of the recreation room agreed with his most loyal servant. He turned to Petra and Tina: "Any other rumors you could have heard?"  
"How about sightings of a lindworm in the mountains?", Tina suggested. "Defeating it could yield a rare and valuable item that could be useful later in the journey. A kind of Chekhov's gun."  
"Hm, sounds good to me", the Beeman commented. "But I think it's enough for now. Can we please go on with the role-play?"  
"I am the king! I decide when we will continue!", King Adrian exclaimed loudly. Five seconds later, he added in a calmer voice: "Now we continue with the role-play."  
And he went back to narrating.

 _~Hoth Motigor~_  
About two hours later, around sundown, the five brave warriors met in the local inn, where Petrulla and Terra recounted what they heard in the town square. The valiant Lillegrimm was itching to get to the mountains and defeat the lindworm. However, she also knew her companions were exhausted and needed rest, so she did not push her allies. The creature would still be in the mountains tomorrow, ready to slaughter any unassuming travelers. Thus, the heroes ate a lavish meal before turning in. That night, when the moon shone high in the dark skies and the whole village was peacefully sleeping, there was one hooded figure, who snuck into the room where the five heroes slept in. He held a long, thin knife as he crept towards their beds. He has to be swift and silent and he had to make sure he got the right person. Then again, even if he killed the wrong person, it wouldn't matter as long as they did not scream in pain and thus did not wake the others. He stopped next to one bed and waited, listening intently if everyone was still asleep. All he could hear were the soft breathings of the heroes, who were all in the land of dreams. He stood up as quietly as he could and looked at his soon to be victim. It was too dark to make out a face but he was still able to see that he was next to one of the female party members. He raised his knife high, the full moon's light reflecting on its blade. With one swift movement, he brought down his weapon, about to pierce this poor girl's heart.  
 _~Hoth Motigor~_

King Adrian paused for dramatic effect. The other players, with the exception of Drogglejug, all leaned forward with anticipation written all over their faces. King Adrian seemed to enjoy the attention he got from his subjects, judging by the self-congratulatory smirk on his face.  
"And? And?", Petra urged in a hushed and eager voice.  
"And? And?", Tina repeated in the same tone.  
"Drogglejug...", he rolled his eyes and shook his head. King Adrian raised his hand to silence them but before he could utter a single word, he was interrupted by a call:  
"Dinner time! Come on, ya loonies, we don't have all night!"  
The role-players moaned in disappointment while putting everything they used or planned to use away. Then they joined the others on their way to dinner, escorted by various minions of Doctor Marcel.

* * *

The thunderstorm raged on all night long until one hour before the sun announced the dawning of a new day. Both the Key Master and Edna spent the rest of the previous evening drawing, though the latter refused to tell or show him what she was drawing. However, he noticed that she kept glancing at him. Had she been drawing him? It would make sense if she did, he could think of no other reason why a person, who was busy drawing, kept looking at another human being in close proximity. It would certainly be a funny coincidence, considering what he talked with her about. The Key Master gazed at the young, still sleeping woman, who had her arms around him. Like every time he spent the night in this apartment, they had an argument about his sleeping in her bed and her sleeping on the couch, only for them both to end up sleeping in her bed. Why did they not just save time and decide they would always sleep in her bed, even though there was an available bed in the other bedroom? Well, Edna mentioned the previous night she was planning to buy a sleeping bag for him, so that he could sleep on the living room floor but he kind of had his doubts she would really purchase one. He had a feeling that she actually enjoyed sleeping in one bed with him. After all, he always woke up with her arms around him and with her looking quite content. But he was better off not making any assumptions; for all he knew, she could just reach for something to hold on when she was in the land of dreams. Perhaps she usually held Harvey in her arms when he, the Key Master, was not with her. Slowly and carefully, he wriggled himself out of her embrace and got up. It was still early in the morning but this did not mean he could not prepare breakfast. Thus, the Key Master snuck out of Edna's room and went to the kitchen, where he gathered flour, sugar, eggs, milk and cocoa powder together. He mixed the ingredients together in a bowl until it resembled something like thin batter for a chocolate cake. Then he took a frying pan and vegetable oil, which he heated up a small amount of. Once the oil had the right temperature, the Key Master poured a little bit of the batter into the pan and left it like this for a few short minutes. He flipped the chocolate pancake around with a spatula to let the other side solidify. The finished product landed on a plate that the Key Master quickly got out of one of the cupboards. This pancake looked a little burned but that was normal. If one were to make pancakes, the first one would always look like a failure – at least when he made them. He was not entirely sure whether or not this was true for everyone, if he was honest with himself. The whole process was repeated several times until all of the batter was used up.  
"Smells delicious", he heard a female voice comment. He turned around to find Edna leaning against the doorframe. She had her arms crossed under her chest and a smirk adorned her face.  
"Well, I hope you will like the taste too", the Key Master retorted before turning his attention back to the final pancake he had in the pan. He flipped it around and turned the heat off; the platform would still be hot enough. Behind him, he could hear footsteps as Edna approached him. They stopped soon but he heard her opening the cupboards and taking something, presumably two plates, out. She closed the cupboards and opened the drawers instead, rummaging for the needed cutlery.  
"I'm gonna set the table", Edna announced. The Key Master nodded in acknowledgement and he heard her leaving the kitchen, though her steps were now much slower. He thought back to two months ago when he first spent a night here. He had also made pancakes for breakfast and he could still remember Edna's comment about them. The Key Master chuckled to himself as he recalled how embarrassed she was upon realizing what she had said. Would she really have done what she had said she would do? Probably not, he did not think so. The Key Master loaded the final pancake on the pile and removed the pan from the still heated stove top. He took the heavy plate and carefully balanced it in his hands on his way to the living room, where he found that Edna had already set the dinner table. He added the heavy plate to it all.  
"Lady's first", he said indicating at the pancakes. However, Edna shook her head.  
"No, you're my guest and you already went through all the trouble of making breakfast. You should fill your plate first", she declined. A grin appeared in her face. "Besides, I'm not a lady, least of all a fair one."  
"Oh, with the right garments and lessons on the proper way to speak, you could surely be one", the Key Master commented while filling his plate.  
"Funny, last time I checked, my name was not Eliza Doolittle", Edna retorted with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. The Key Master chuckled before he took a seat, having decided the amount of pancakes he filled on his plate was enough. Now it was Edna's turn to fill her plate. Once she had done it, they commenced eating.  
"You still can't remember your name, can you?", she suddenly asked about twenty minutes later, after they finished consuming their breakfast, as though they never interrupted their conversation.  
"No, it's like there's something preventing me from remembering this and a couple of other things – like the circumstances that led me to being stuck in an asylum", the Key Master replied.  
"I know how this feels... back then when I did everything I could to escape the asylum with your help, I regained my memories bit by bit – especially later when I found my way back home. However, I couldn't recall anything about the day and what really happened when Alfred died. It was only when I was in my old room and tempomorphed into the past when I remembered what really happened...", Edna trailed off. "But there has to be another way for you to recall all those things. I mean, you don't want to live the rest of your life knowing there are memories in your brain you can't access."  
"No, either I completely remember it or I don't even know about the memories my brain is unable to access", the Key Master retorted as they cleared the table.  
"I know my friend Lilli was once hypnotized by Doctor Marcel. He created some behavioral blocks in her mind which she overcame one by one by hypnotizing herself. If only we knew whether or not he used hypnosis on you too, then maybe we could do the same to you", Edna recounted. She started to clean the used dishes, pan, spatula and cutleries.  
"If he really used hypnosis on me, I would really like to know the reason", the Key Master remarked with a towel in his hand. Something must have happened back then if Doctor Marcel thought it was important to suppress the Key Master's memories... or that old man was just sick and twisted. Maybe he even had something to hide, which the green-skinned man saw but was not supposed to. Each explanation sounded plausible to him. Nonetheless, the Key Master thought while drying the pan, there was no reason to make him forget his own name.  
"By the way, how was the party?", he asked as he put the pan back to its place.  
"It was fun and loud", Edna replied. "But I could have done without Sebastian gawking at me like he never saw a girl before."  
"Why did he do that? He sees you almost every day; he should know what you look like."  
"Well...", Edna nervously glanced up at the Key Master, "I might have cleaned myself up... a little... Tina insisted on making a picture..."  
She muttered the part so low it was impossible to hear. However, he nonetheless heard her and raised both his eyebrows.  
"Now I would like to see that picture."

* * *

Breakfast was over in the asylum as well and the patients were brought to the recreation room, at least those who had not disappeared or were in solitary cells. Lilli hoped she, Petra, Tina, Drogglejug and the Beeman would be asked to continue with their role-play from last night by King Adrian. They had to stop while they were in the middle of it and they were escorted to their dormitories after dinner. Lilli, Petra and Tina spent hours talking about Hoth Motigor with the ever so cheerful Petra explaining everything that happened since they started with the role-play, so that the other two blondes were up-to-date. She had to stop when one of the guards assigned to nightshift threatened to let her suffer the same fate the disappeared patients had to endure. Although intrigued by what he meant, the two newbies had waited until breakfast before they asked questions. This was when they learned that some patients were suddenly taken away, usually by Anes, and were never seen again. Lilli and Tina had shared a look of worry with each other – why would they take patients away to somewhere unknown? What were they planning to do with them? The tale certainly explained why Lilli had not seen either Peter or the Washing Maniac during the two days she had been here. At first, she thought they had been declared clinically sane and had therefore been released but quickly discarded the theory when she recalled how mad Doctor Marcel was. When Lilli had broken into the asylum to save her friend Edna, she had been told by the patients that the doctor neglected his duty as the head of this institution but she had quickly realized that it had changed over the years. If anything, she had a feeling he was abusing his position to torture the inmates.  
Not wanting to waste any more thoughts on a sick, twisted, old man, she looked around for something to distract her. King Adrian had not yet announced the continuation of their role-play and Tina was busy playing _My Rainbow Colored Cabinet_ with some other patients. Drogglejug stood gallantly guard in front of the cushion castle and the Beeman and Petra were nowhere to be seen. Lilli decided to wander around a little, first to the room where inmates could express themselves creatively, better known as the arts and crafts room. That was where she found the man in the bee costume, which did not come as a surprise to her. One could say this was his favorite area of the recreation room; even if he expressed his dislike for occupational therapy more than once. Then again, no one liked occupational therapy. The Beeman offered Lilli to join him and draw something too. She declined and left the room, deciding to head for the television room. On her way to this room, she had to walk through the main area, where she found that everything was still exactly the same it was when she found the Beeman's current location. Did King Adrian ever plan to continue with the role-play? Maybe there was something Lilli could watch on television.  
"Oh hello Lilli!", Petra greeted the girl enthusiastically. Lilli approached the woman with the braided pigtails and sat next to her on the couch.  
"You just missed the movie. It was a romantic comedy, you know", Petra told Lilli with a big toothy smile.  
"Not my cup of tea", Lilli shrugged. "Mind if I change the channel?"  
"Not at all, go ahead."  
Lilli took the remote and zapped through the channels, hoping to find something that looked interesting. But all she could find were those shows with those insane families that are usually shown for unemployed or retired people. In short, those kinds of shows that made her feel like she was losing some brain cells. And the only other things she found were those shows for little kids and pre-school kids. With a sigh she turned the television off and left with Petra the room. On the way out, she spotted Professor Nock hiding behind the chair. If she thought about it, he always seemed to be in this spot. Lilli thought about asking him when she suddenly heard the sounds of fanfares from the main area. Curious what it was about, the two blondes followed the sound. King Adrian emerged from his cushion castle just as the two females arrived. Tina was now alone, it seemed like she just finished playing _My Rainbow Colored Cabinet_. The Beeman arrived a second later and took a seat next to Tina; Lilli and Petra decided to join them. The fanfares stopped and King Adrian began to speak in a loud, booming voice:  
"My brave warriors, it is time to return to Hoth Motigor and continue our journey, which has been so rudely interrupted! Come, my warriors, and fight for your land!"  
"D'you guys reckon we should strut like warriors too?", Tina mumbled to the other players. She, Lilli, Petra and the Beeman walked over to where Drogglejug and King Adrian were and followed these two to the coffee room.  
The king of the recreation room and his loyal subjects set everything up for their role-play and soon, Lilli, Drogglejug, Petra, Tina and the Beeman sat in a half circle in the seating area with their Dungeon Master sitting across from them. The story continued.

 _~Hoth Motigor~_  
With one swift movement, he brought down his weapon, about to pierce this poor girl's heart. She woke up in time and managed to jump out of the bed. To his horror, the hooded figure realized he almost killed the wrong party member. If this had been the right person and if they had been pierced in their heart by his blade, he would not be in this mess.  
"Who are you, what do you want?", Lillegrimm asked in a hard voice, waking her comrades. Her eyes were as cold as steel, her mouth formed a thin line and her blade was pointed at the intruder. Apisor, Petrulla, Sir Droggalot and Terra armed themselves with their weapons upon seeing the enemy.  
"I am Hugo, one of the king's most loyal subjects", the intruder replied in a strong voice. He moved his head. Although they could not see his face, they knew he was looking straight at Terra. "I was sent to eliminate this useless wench but I seem to have chosen the wrong target."  
Before anyone had the time to react, he blinded them with a bright light. All they could hear were his fast retreating footsteps; by the time they could see again, he was gone.  
"It seems that our dear king has already decided to send his men after me", Terra remarked in a grim voice. "We have to be more careful from now, perhaps we should have guard duties at night."  
She noticed her companions staring at her and with a wave of her hand; she said that she would explain everything in the morning and that it would be important for them to catch some sleep. Everybody else agreed with her suggestion and soon, everyone, with the exception of Terra, was back in the land of dreams.  
Our heroic group continued on with their journey through Hoth Motigor in search of their rightful ruler. It was known that their old king had a child, though nobody knew their gender, and he or she was the heir of the throne. However, before the old king was murdered his child had disappeared without a trace. No one knew whether or not his heir was still alive or dead as well. There was hope he or she was among the living and ready to take their rightful place on the throne and thus as King or Queen of Hoth Motigor. Down with the oppressive rule of King Marcel! Cast away the dark clouds over the once proud and beautiful castle! It was time for a new dawn, the dawn of a new ruler! If only they knew where the monarch was. But this was why our travelers searched far and wide, even if this was the last thing they did. At the moment, they were on their way to Reptilanor Mountain. After having heard of the rumor about the raging lindworm that endangered travelers and hikers, they were itching to battle this creature and slay it. With courageous hearts and an unbreakable will, the fearless five warriors ascended Reptilanor Mountain. The road was steep, devoid of any flora, with the exception of tiny tufts of grass underneath a couple of rocks. The fauna was made up of reptiles of all sizes, lying lazily on the rocks, watching the group with their small eyes. High above in the sky, the sun's heat radiated down on Lillegrimm, Sir Droggalot, Petrulla, Apisor and Terra. Sweat drenched their clothes – at least the parts that were not made of metal. The heat was unbearable but they could endure it. They could endure anything from temperatures of deserts in Summer to the freezing cold Antarctica. Therefore they kept on with their ascension until they reached the summit. Up there, standing tall on its hind legs, was the lindworm, the most gigantic reptile on the mountain. It glared down on them with its eyes as red as blood and it snarled its sharp pointy teeth. Our heroes barely had time to gaze upon this humongous creature before it spread its wings and roared ferociously. In the blink of an eye, it flew high up in the air and came diving down right where the group was standing. Everybody scattered to avoid being crushed by the enormous lizard. The earth shook and rumbled as the lindworm landed, causing the five heroes to lose their balance and fall down. Everyone, bar Sir Droggalot, got light injuries in the process. The lindworm was about to snap at Apisor if Petrulla's timely use of magic had not distracted it. Terra imbued her sword with the powers of ice, giving the blade a light blue, cold aura. Raising their weapons high, she, Sir Droggalot and Lillegrimm charged at the beast, managing to slash it a few times before it swiftly turned around, sending them flying with its tail. The three sword users hit a stone wall and groaned in pain. Petrulla continued using her magic and healed them while Apisor summoned his bees to sting the lindworm in its eyes. The reptile thrashed around, roared or breathed fire in random directions. It hit Apisor and left behind scorch marks on his skin. Sir Droggalot, Lillegrimm and Terra had already recovered from their little contact with the rock wall and were back to attacking the beast. It was a long and hard fight with many injuries. Our heroes were exhausted but so was the lindworm. In fact, one well placed thrust in its chest, the place where its heart was, and it would be slain. It was Lillegrimm who raised her sword and approached the lindworm. The beast was about to snap at her when she pierced its heart, killing it instantly. It fell on its side with a loud thud, twitched once and then lay still, its glassy and empty eyes looking to the horizon.  
 _~Hoth Motigor~_


	20. Things of The Past

**Chapter Twenty**

 **Things of The Past**

"Man, I'm glad we don't have to drive to that town again. I was getting sick of being stuck in that van!", Bladder commented to René. The heavy man leaned back with his arms crossed behind his head and with his eyes directed at the small television set that stood on a table next to the surveillance monitors.  
"Me too but I'm also kinda worried", the tall, lanky man admitted. Bladder turned away from the show he was watching to eye him quizzically.  
"Worried? About what?", he questioned. René took his time to grab a plastic cup. Then he walked to the fortunately still filled water dispenser and filled the cup. He took one big gulp and then answered:  
"Well, we just kidnapped these two girls; it wasn't like any other time we got a new patient in. Those patients either have families who know where this specific member of the family was or none at all. But these two? We kidnapped them when they were each alone, no one knows where they are but they surely have friends and family who noticed their absence, especially that little girl."  
Bladder nodded and hummed, with a thoughtful expression on his face. René leaned close in to Bladder's face, one hand holding the back of the chair and the other the cup.  
"Imagine Ben or Amy would find out what we did", he hissed. "You know how they are. We could end up in the big house. If we do, Doctor Marcel's plan would fail."  
He straightened up, taking another sip from his water.  
"Though frankly, I don't care whether his plan succeeds or not", he admitted. "We're supposed to help the loonies, not abuse them or use them as bait."  
"I agree with you on this", Bladder nodded. "Maybe it's time for Doctor Marcel to let somebody else, a more competent doctor, be the head of this institution."  
The heavy man turned back to his show with one last sentence:  
"But should Edna really come to save her friends, I won't do anything to hinder her."  
René nodded once in acknowledgement and sat down too. He, unlike his friend and colleague, set his eyes on the monitors to make sure there were not any unusual activities. He spotted Babbitt bringing a steaming cup of tea upstairs, presumably to Doctor Marcel. Anes made his rounds and Hulgor stood guard in front of Edna's former cell door. Here and there were other guards keeping vigilance in front of solitary cells. That was weird. Since when did they have so many patients in solitary? And then there was the issue of some patients suddenly disappearing. From what René had heard, it was usually when Anes came to fetch them. He did not feed them to the Phantom, did he? René shuddered at the thought. Suddenly he spotted something moving in the shadows on the topmost floor of the tower, not too far from where Hulgor was. The large, burly man did not seem to have noticed anything since he was talking to someone through the grated window of the cell door.  
"Strange...", René muttered, scanning the monitors very carefully with his eyes.  
"What's strange?", Bladder was once again looking at his friend and colleague questioningly.  
"I just saw something moving in the shadows. I don't know if that was an escaped patient or the Phantom", René explained. "But I can't seem to find whoever it was anymore."  
Bladder stood up and got closer to the monitors, surveying them with a sharp eye. But all he could see were the usual activities in the mental institution.

* * *

The grass was still wet, dew dropped from leaves. No one dared to sit on the benches, unless they wanted a wet butt. The smell of rain still lingered in the air as people took a morning stroll. Only a few children were on the playground, perhaps there would be more at a later time. The current weather was a stark contrast to the previous day with the large fireball known as sun beaming down on the world from its place in the azure sky. Edna had convinced the Key Master to leisurely saunter through the park with her. After the horrible weather from the previous day, she needed some time outside of four walls.  
"If you wanted to be outdoors, why not the forest or anywhere else outside of town?", the Key Master questioned. "And why not wait until it's drier?"  
"Well, it would be neat if there was a swamp around, then I would have waited until it was drier and I would still be able to play with mud", Edna replied. "I would certainly like to go there. But there's none and we're gonna purchase a sleeping bag for you later, so it makes sense to remain in town."  
"If you say so", her companion shrugged. Edna gave him a half-smile, arched one eyebrow and looked at him with her eyes wide open.  
"Come on, I know you're tired of fighting who will sleep on the couch and who will sleep in my bed only for the two of us ending up in the latter", she pointed out. At least that was what she speculated. She did not mind it sharing a bed with him, as long as he did not do anything immoral; she just did not like the arguments they had every time. However, she was sure he did not want to be in the same bed as her, maybe he even felt uncomfortable about it and their age difference of about eight years. No, she did not want to force him to do something he did not want to do and that included sharing their sleeping places.  
People did not look twice when they saw Edna and the Key Master walking past, despite the latter's unusual skin color. Most were either too busy with their phones or other things, so they ignored rather unusual things. Edna vaguely recalled something when she read the _Harry Potter_ books once – she was bored and had nothing to do – something about non-magical people never noticing anything out of the ordinary. Well, seeing how aware people were with everything around them, she reckoned there had to be some truth behind it. Maybe there really were some wizards and witches flying on their broomsticks right above them and nobody realized this because no one ever looked up. No wonder why legends and tales of mystical creatures had decreased; it was not only the advancement of science that did it – although Edna had to say she liked progress – but also people ignoring everything around them and not using their imaginations. Great, I sound like the host of some kids' program, Edna thought to herself. She looked ahead only to see two unwelcoming individuals and one acceptable coming their way.  
"Well, well, well, look who we have here", Heike jeered superciliously. "Nutty Edna, our local loony and..." Her eyes fell on the Key Master and she laughed deridingly. "... and her boyfriend. Was he that desperate?"  
Edna glared at her classmate; her fists were clenched, ready to smack her in the face. She was sure the Key Master felt the same; Heike was insulting him too, after all. Why could that bitch not be anywhere else in the world, like an uninhabited island?  
"Heike, do you have to insult Edna every time you see her?", Gabrielle asked wearily. "It's really annoying."  
"No one asked you", Daniel snapped at her.  
"You're not supposed to think for yourself and you can be easily replaced and I can force everyone else to treat you like the useless little piece of shit you are", Heike snarled. "You're only here with me because no one else would be friends with you. And honestly, can you imagine anything better than being with me?"  
"An unneeded root canal treatment?", Gabrielle retorted dryly. Heike stared at her with a mix of horror and madness; Daniel looked like he was ready to hit her. Edna's facial expression showed a mix of appreciation, impression and pride. The Key Master was pretty much confused.  
"H-how dare you -?", Heike exclaimed, seemingly at a loss for words. She stepped right up at Gabrielle, towering over her. "Watch what you're saying or else! Well, you know the consequences."  
"You're just pathetic. I don't know why I ever listened to you", the brunette stated with contempt in her voice. "I wasted too much of my precious time on someone like you!"  
She swiftly swiveled around and walked away, her head held high in a dignified manner. Heike and Daniel stared after her as though they did not know what just happened, which was probably true. Edna and the Key Master shared a look, she silently suggesting with a movement of her head going after Gabrielle. Before the other two could do or say anything more than "hey!", they had already followed the brunette.  
They found her sitting all alone on a bench, apparently not bothered by its wetness. Edna broke into a run, the Key Master on her heels, as soon as she spotted Gabrielle, only stopping when she was right in front of her. Gabrielle glanced at them, mumbling an almost inaudible word of greeting. The female former patient of a mental institution crouched down in front of the brunette to have a better view of her face.  
"That was really cool what you said to Heike a moment ago", Edna praised the younger girl. The corner of Gabrielle's mouth moved upwards.  
"Thanks. I've been getting sick of Heike's behavior for quite some time now. Guess this was the final straw", she explained. However, her smile soon faded. "But I once didn't treat you any better... sorry about that."  
Edna shook her head and gave Gabrielle a comforting smile.  
"You've proven that you're actually a decent person, you saw the errors in your way. Heike and Daniel didn't and probably never will."  
"Too true. By the way...", Gabrielle's eyes traveled to the Key Master, who stood a bit away from the girls, "... who is this man by your side? An old friend? Or...", she leaned forward and lowered her voice so much that Edna had to move her ear closer, "... is he your really your boyfriend?"  
"No, he's just a friend", the purple haired woman denied. Gabrielle did a once-over of the Key Master before commenting:  
"Well, he does look attractive in a way but I think I prefer muscular guys with tanned skin."  
Edna knew what kind of men the girl with the dark brown hair meant. In her opinion were males with muscles of steel and skin like the medal third-place finishers received in sporting events kind of boring. Those kinds of guys always seemed to only spend their free time in fitness studios to work on their muscles and watch sports on television. Edna never saw the appeal of this; it was just the same over and over again. She did not understand how everyone seemed to get excited whenever it was time again for the soccer world cup. What was so exciting about watching a total of twenty-two sportsmen kicking one single ball? No, there were a whole lot of other things Edna could think of doing in her free time.  
"If you say so", she replied. "Hey, how about we all walk together and have a conversation? It's getting kind of uncomfortable to crouch like this."  
"You could have sat down on the bench; I wiped the raindrops away", Gabrielle said. Edna let her eyes travel all over the bench, not seeing one single drop of rain anywhere. Well, that would explain why Gabrielle had no issues with the wetness when it was not there anymore. "But I wouldn't mind taking a stroll with you and your friend."  
Edna stood up and offered her classmate a hand, which she gladly took. They walked up to the Key Master, who nodded at them.  
"This is Gabrielle, a girl from my class", Edna introduced her to the Key Master.  
"Nice to meet you", he replied in a polite tone.  
"Pleasure's all mine", the younger girl responded, shaking his hand. Edna got between them after they let go and threw her arms around their shoulders.  
"Now, how about we all take a nice walk?", she suggested, receiving words of agreements. She let them go, lest she would have hung between them a few centimeters off the ground. With the Key Master to her right and Gabrielle to her left, they strolled through the park.

* * *

Far away, but not too far away, in a room on the topmost floor of the tower that was part of an institution sat old, grumpy Doctor Marcel with his back to the window, although he seemed to be uncharacteristically cheerful. Well, his mood seemed to be better than it usually was – he did not glare daggers on a permanent basis. Just a minute ago, Anes had left his office after relaying some marvelous news. If Alfred would knew about this, he would be ecstatic. It was soon time for Doctor Marcel to spend an hour in his secret room for his deceased son and then he would tell him. He heard the door open and, when he looked up, saw a young man in a purple hoodie, gray knickerbockers, blue and white trainers standing right in front of him. His face was obscured by a paper bag and around his shoulders he wore some gray rag that acted as his cape.  
"Yes, Ruben? What is it?", Doctor Marcel asked his oldest son.  
"I wanted to ask you if there's anything I can do to help you to capture Edna?", Ruben replied. Doctor Marcel raised an eyebrow.  
"Tell me, why are you so interested in helping me?", he questioned. "Is there a special reason?"  
"I only want you to be proud of me. I want you to know that I'm on your side", the young man with the hidden face explained. His father took his time to drink from his tea, scrutinizing Ruben long and hard with his single eye after he put his cup down.  
"So, no interest of any kind in her?", he pressed on. Ruben shook his head.  
"Why should I? I don't know anything about her and, frankly, I don't want to."  
"But you're a young man, single, and she is a girl, single I presume. Your age difference isn't big, although I can't understand why anyone would ever want to date such an indomitable girl", Doctor Marcel commented, leaning back in his wheelchair. His voice dripped with venom as soon as he came to the part regarding Edna. There was no way that this little brat would ever marry into his family; Mattis Konrad was deluded and foolish to think that his daughter and Alfred would become a couple. If Alfred had not died, Doctor Marcel would surely have found another way to prevent Edna from getting together with his son. It was only a matter of time and soon, Doctor Marcel could get his revenge on this freak.  
"Only someone pitifully desperate would want to be with her", Ruben agreed with his father. "I heard you and your minions talking about her. She always sounded like the kind of person who belongs in a cell."  
"If I had had the opportunity to use my correction of character method on her when she was still a baby, she might have become a decent person. But she was already rotten when I first made my acquaintance with her", Doctor Marcel recounted, grouchily thinking back of his first Christmas dinner with the Konrad family. He sighed and once again took a sip from his tea, emptying the cup.  
"But to answer your question, Ruben, there's nothing to do at the moment. However I will let you know if I need your assistance", he said and rolled to the door, which his oldest son opened for him. "Now if you excuse me, I would like to be alone."  
He rolled out of his office and down the hallway, nodding at Hulgor who kept vigilance in front of the cell. He rolled two floors down and turned to his right hand side and to the door closest to the windows. He unlocked the door and entered the room that was emitted in a red glow. Doctor Marcel locked the door behind him and rolled towards the spot where a pillow once lay. The picture of Alfred took up a considerable amount of space on the wall above the altar. A boy like him, the perfect son, one who was obedient and tidy only deserved the best and that included a giant portrait of him. Doctor Marcel had hoped that he could have gotten a painter to make more of these, one for each stage of Alfred's life, but it was not meant to be. Soon, it would not matter anymore. Not long and Edna was going to pay for everything.  
"Soon, Alfred, soon you can rest in peace", Doctor Marcel whispered to the picture of Alfred. "I will make sure that there'll be no more injuries caused by her or by any other child. Childishness will be a thing of the past."  
Doctor Marcel clasped his hands together as in a prayer and bowed his head, closing his eye but not completely. Just so that he could barely see his legs, a reminder of the combined hazard of Edna and childishness. There was nothing children were good for, except to keep the family line going. Still, there were genes that should never pass on, like unemployed slackers and drunkards. Unfortunately, people like those tend to reproduce instead of decent human beings. The world was going to the dogs and it was his, Doctor Horatio Marcel, task to set things right.

* * *

Edna, the Key Master and Gabrielle had long left the park after having spotted Heike and Daniel and their desire was to not have a confrontation with them. These three had gone to town, to a nice little café, where they sat at one of the outdoor tables under the shade of an umbrella. Each one of them had a large bowl of ice cream in front of them, which was constantly getting emptier and emptier.  
"Hey Gabrielle, there's something I've been wondering about", Edna started, looking up from her banana split. The Key Master flickered his eyes from her to Gabrielle and back again, listening to the conversation.  
"Go on, what is it you've been wondering about?", the brunette responded.  
"Remember the day I pushed Heike in the pond?" Gabrielle nodded wordlessly. "You said something about my father, something about her having to be careful because he was a murderer. But how did you know he was charged as one many years ago?"  
"I knew it from my mom", Gabrielle explained. "She and your father went to the same school in their teen years, so she knew him. When I told her that you came to our class, she told me about the whole issue regarding your father."  
"Does... does she believe that he committed the murder?", the purple haired woman questioned, with a bit of nervousness in her voice. The Key Master could understand why she would be asking this. He knew she always believed in her father's innocence, even before she remembered the whole incident, and it made her both mad and sad to know that there were people out there who really believed he would be capable of something like this.  
"Well, she was always in a conflict with herself about this", Gabrielle replied. "The person she knew from her youth would never kill anyone, least of all a child, but she also knew that people can change over time and she had not seen him since they graduated."  
The Key Master glanced at Edna, seeing an unreadable expression on her face. She did not response verbally, only with a slight nod of the head, while she consumed her banana split. At least it was better than outright believing that her father was the culprit but he was sure she would have preferred if Gabrielle had told her that her mother always believed in Mattis's innocence. He guessed the whole issue was something that Edna could never let go, it would always follow her. It was the same with him and his murder victims, they kept following him in his dreams, mourning about their untimely deaths and dragging him to Hades.  
"Well, I should be going now. I have a dentist appointment in an hour and I need to brush my teeth before I go", Gabrielle announced to the other two after she finished her bowl of ice cream of fruity flavors. She waved at them before departing. "See you around."  
"How come someone like her was with such an unpleasant person like this blond girl in the park?", the Key Master questioned the moment she was out of earshot. Edna shrugged:  
"Don't really know. Apparently it was because Heike threatened her to force everyone else to treat her like she was a worthless pile of junk if she did not do what she said. I'm not sure, though."  
"Judging from the way this Heike behaved when we saw her in the park, I wouldn't put it past her", the green-skinned man commented. "She was probably the most obnoxious, pesky person I have ever encountered." He looked questioningly at Edna. "Is she related to Doctor Marcel?"  
"Don't know, wouldn't be surprised if she were though", Edna replied with a shrug. "Both are equally annoying."  
"Can't blame you for pushing her in a pond", the Key Master commented before eating a spoonful of his ice cream. He was sure he would have done the same and he felt regret that he did not have the chance to do so and he most likely would never get the chance. But why would anyone listen to a person like Heike? The only reason anyone would ever do as she said would be if she were wealthy and would actually pay them.  
"She is and she does", Edna confirmed after the Key Master spoke his thoughts out. He bet, upon hearing this, that she would have no friends or anyone who would like her if she were not rich. Heike bought her friends and if her family were to lose all their money, she would lose them too. It was better to have just one true friend than a thousand false friends. The Key Master gazed at Edna, thinking back at how he used her to get out of the asylum. He was relieved and glad that she readily accepted him as a friend years later. She could also have decided to not have anything to do with him or even hand him over to the police but she was instead willing to give him a second chance. No, the young woman who spoke to a terry cloth rabbit was his closest friend. But speaking of the rag doll lagomorph...  
"I just noticed, where's your blue rabbit?", the Key Master inquired.  
"Harvey? Oh, he didn't want to come along", Edna explained. "Didn't want to force him."  
"I see", the Key Master replied. Both finished their ice cream soon, Edna paid for both of them and for Gabrielle, and then left. The Key Master let his companion lead him since she knew the town much better than he did. He already knew of some of the locations and how to get there but not as good as Edna did. She could lead him to a store he never visited before without getting lost while he would only happen upon it by chance. When she showed him the house he was currently living in, he assumed it would only be temporary and thus did not bother to get to know the town. While he still planned to flee abroad, he figured it would be a good idea to at least know where some stores were until it was time for him to go. But when was the time? How would he know this? Two months ago, he presumed it would be just a couple of weeks. However, the more time he spent with Edna, the less he wanted to leave. It was hard for him to imagine life without her. Perhaps it was because she was his only friend and the only person who was willing to be his friend despite knowing what he did. He felt he owed something to her, even if it was only his name – if only he could remember it. Since he forgot his true name and received his nickname 'the Key Master', he found it unimportant to try and remember his given name. However, he found it to be tedious to only be called 'Key Master'; it did not make him feel like he was an actual person but more like a representative of keys and locks. He recalled the conversation about names he had with Edna on the day she led him to the house that was now his hideout. She had asked him for his actual name and he has given her his opinion about names. Hard to believe it was only two months ago; it felt like much more time had passed.  
"Where are we going anyway?", the Key Master questioned, walking a little faster so that he was right next to Edna.  
"Well, I told you we were going to buy a sleeping bag for you today", she started. "There should be a store for camping equipment around here somewhere."  
They kept walking down the street of the historic downtown. The pavement, the houses' exteriors reminded the Key Master of the early twentieth century. If there were no modern day cars, if the windows of various shops would not show any electronic devices and if the people around here would be wearing suits and dresses and hats, he would think he traveled back in time. Should he ever see a hundred year old photo of this part of the town, he was sure he would find only few differences, namely the aforementioned ones.  
Soon, they found the store Edna was talking about. The moment they entered the shop, the Key Master could tell it was a paradise for campers with their selection of gears, ranging from tents and sleeping bags over camping cookers to rucksacks and compasses. The only thing they did not offer was trailers. However, he figured a nearby car dealer sold trailers. But would that mean that he had to expect people going on a camping trip in the forest he ventured through every day? Or did people just enjoy traveling far away and camp in the great outdoors? There had to be a reason why they had a store for camping gears instead of just being available in a supermarket when Summer time approached. He could imagine the owner of this shop did not have any remunerative business in winter and silently pondered to himself whether or not the shop owner sold skiing equipment, ice skates and sleds in colder seasons.  
"How come there's a single store for camping gears in this town? It hardly makes any sense for half of the year", the Key Master spoke his thoughts out.  
"I know but this store's already been here since before I came to live in this town", Edna answered while looking at some sleeping bags. She took a midnight blue colored one. "How about this one?"  
The Key Master took a look at the sleeping bag she held in her hands. It did not look bad from what he could tell, although he did not really care. The important thing was that he had a sleeping bag.  
"As long as it's not pink, I'd take any color", he replied. "Still, not the best business idea. What does the owner sell in winter?"  
"Dunno, it's my first time in this store", Edna shrugged as they made their way to the cash register. "But I reckon they're still selling camping equipment."  
She paid at the register for the sleeping bag and afterwards, they left the store with her suggesting they should go to her home to drop off the bag.

* * *

It was time for Ben to get to work since his shift was about to begin in thirty minutes. Amy decided to come along and spend some time with the patients as she would not be seeing them for some time after today. She actually considered them as her friends but she still refrained herself from giving them any special treatments during her therapy sessions; it would be unfair for all the other patients who did not spend so much time with her.  
"Excited for your vacation with your sister?", Ben called from the bathroom to the bedroom, where Amy got dressed in a pair of shorts, a shirt and trainers.  
"Sure am", she called back while tying her shoelaces. "Though I'm gonna miss the guys from the asylum while I'm gone."  
"Ah, don't worry. They'll still be there when you get back", her boyfriend said as he entered the bedroom wearing nothing but boxer shorts. He sat next to her on their bed. "It's not like you'll be gone forever, just for a short time."  
"You got a point there", the young therapist smiled. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips and stood up. "Now get dressed or you'll be late for work."  
Ten minutes later, the couple was on their way to the asylum up on the hill on the outskirts of the village. Ben's red haired colleague in the watch tower opened the gate for them upon their arrival, closing it immediately after they went through. Amy decided to take a walk through the garden before going inside; Ben, however, entered the asylum at once. It was a pity that Doctor Marcel never let his patients go outside in the garden, especially on a fine day like this one with a cloudless blue sky and a happily beaming sun. It would certainly do them some good to get out in the fresh air. Perhaps they could even start a little project, like growing their own crops. That way, they had more to do than just being in their dormitories or playing in the recreation room or, worst of all, participating in occupational therapy. There was something definitely wrong if the only thing they were allowed to make in occupational therapy was ashtrays and the therapist disapproved of this. Still, she often wondered to herself why the ashtrays kept having a shapeless form even after all these years. Did the inmates do this on purpose? If she also had to make one of these, she would probably do the same as the patients too. Amy actually doubted Doctor Marcel wanted to heal the inmates. Not once since she and Ben started to work here had she witnessed the old man declaring a patient as clinically sane. If anything, he got more and more patients. Amy took a seat on the bench right in front of the Zen garden and gazed at the stones, which were arranged like an arc, and the wave patter in the sand. It made her feel tranquil and at ease, as though her every being was in harmony with herself. She sat there for a few more minutes until she decided to head inside the building and to the recreation room. The first thing she noted in the main area was the lack of Drogglejug in front of the cushion castle. This usually meant that King Adrian was busy with his role-play. Amy wondered who would be participating this time as she gave the room a once-over. Petra, the Beeman, Professor Nock and the newbies she heard of were nowhere to be seen but it did not have to mean they were all role-playing. They might as well be in the television room or they could be drawing.  
"Well, I won't know 'till I went to see Adrian and Drogglejug", Amy mumbled to herself as she left the main area through the door at the other side. She came into a hallway, where she found three doors – two on her right hand side and one on her left hand side. She took the latter, which led to the arts and crafts room and walked straight through to the other door, leading to the bar. There she found the barkeeper wiping a dirty glass with an even dirtier piece of cloth and Maestro Frank and Max drinking something – she hoped it was not the Stinkydrink. Amy waved at them before going through to the backdoor to the coffee room. Of all the rooms belonging to the recreation room, this had to be her least favorite one. The dim light made her feel like a criminal organization would smoke and play poker here when they were not busy committing crimes. Then there was a slight trace of vomit in the air, even if it was difficult to smell through all the cheap perfume. She recognized King Adrian immediately as well as Drogglejug, Petra and the Beeman. However, next to the yellow and black of the last one, she noticed two more players. Both were blond, like Petra, and one of them had her hair tied together in pigtails with pink ribbons while also wearing a pink bow on her head. The final player was...  
"Tina!?", Amy exclaimed, astonished to see a friend of her sister's in an asylum for the mentally ill. All the role-players turned to look at her.  
"Oh hi, Amy!", Petra greeted her cheerfully while Tina simultaneously exclaimed "Amy!?"  
The therapist approached the group, her eyes still fixated on Tina. One theory after the other entered Amy's brain, each one more unlikely than the last. She took one empty seat and observed the round.  
"What are you doing here, Tina?", Amy asked after several minutes of silence. "It didn't seem like you belong in here when we first met you or any other times after that."  
"I don't quite know but apparently, me and Lilli –" she nodded at the little girl next to her. "– are here to lure Edna out."  
"What?", Amy frowned. The youngest person in the little group leaned forward and explained to her what she heard and figured out since she was brought here two days ago. Amy listened attentively, becoming more and more worried. She never thought that Doctor Marcel would go as far as letting two innocent persons kidnap. But both Tina and Lilli seemed to get along with the patients of this mental institution, which Amy was relieved to note. Still, something had to be done to get these two out and to put an end to Doctor Marcel's deeds of darkness.  
"I go speak with Ben about this", she announced, rising to her feet. "We have to do something; we can't let that grumpy old man do what he wants just because he's got a grudge on someone."  
"Right you are, my dear", the Beeman agreed.  
"Drogglejug!"  
"Well spoken, Amy, but if you don't mind, we aren't quite done with _Hoth Motigor_ yet", King Adrian contributed to the conversation.  
"Uh yes, sorry I interrupted", she apologized somewhat sheepishly. "I, uh, I see you all later."  
She waved at them and left the room, glad not to be inhaling the disgusting smell anymore. How could anyone stand spending any period of time, no matter how long or short in this room? Certainly not Amy, who took a deep breath once she was out of the room and muttered "thank God". Next time she saw King Adrian, she was going to convince him to play _Hoth Motigor_ someplace else. But first, there were more important matters at hand. Therefore she left the recreation room and went upstairs to her boyfriend in the surveillance room. Amy was about to speak the moment she entered the room but caught herself in time for Anes was there in the room with Ben. The therapist nodded at the older man in greeting and sat down on an unoccupied chair. On the outside, she was calm and collected but on the inside, she was fidgeting. She did not want Anes to listen to her talking with Ben; she knew he worked closely with Doctor Marcel and if he knew she wanted to do something against him, he was sure to tell him. Thus, Amy sat there in silence and watched the everyday activities of the asylum on the many monitors. She kept hoping Anes would soon leave, kept hoping that he would not be there for much longer, kept hoping he would be sucking up to Doctor Marcel any moment now but it was not to be. It was like he was adamant to prevent her from talking with Ben about the patients but why? There were no cameras in the coffee room, so he could not have seen her talking with them. Her eyes widened a minute later when she remembered that there were cameras in the bar and Anes could have seen her going through there to get to the coffee room. Who knew, mayhap he had seen King Adrian and company going there earlier. Still, if Anes did, he would nonetheless not know what she and the patient were talking about and he would not know that she and Tina already knew each other. Perhaps she simply chose a bad time to visit her boyfriend...  
"Anes, how long are you going to hover over my shoulder?", Ben huffed in annoyance. "It's getting aggravating."  
"Well, I have to make sure you do your work and not make out with your girlfriend", the oldest member of the species Homo sapiens in the surveillance room replied. Ben's glance was certainly not amused.  
"Do you really think I would forget my task and be busy with Amy? Look, she and I have plenty of time to be busy with each other at home. She won't seduce me into getting intimate with her", Ben explained before looking at Amy: "Am I right or am I right?"  
"Right you are, Ben", she confirmed, hoping it would convince Anes to leave at last. His narrowed eyes flickered from Ben to Amy and back again as if he was skeptical of their words.  
"Alright, I'm going to leave now but I will come back and if I see you two making out, I will personally throw you two out", Anes threatened before departing. Amy waited for a minute or two to make sure he was really gone and then proceeded telling Ben about her discoveries.

* * *

After having brought the new sleeping bag to the apartment, Edna and the Key Master were once again out in the fresh air, this time in the nearby forest, however. The young woman had offered Harvey to join them but he declined before adding he would have if the Key Master would not come along. She told him about this when he asked if her blue friend did not want to come along, although she left out the last part. Still, the jealousy in Harvey's voice worried Edna more and more. She feared he would make her do something that would end up hurting the Key Master and considering what happened to Alfred, she felt that no one could not blame her. However, this time she would make sure she would not do anything that would harm her green-skinned friend; she wanted neither more losses nor any trouble. She had enough of those, especially the former, to last a lifetime.  
It was cooler in the forest than in town with the trees blocking out the sun but still letting enough light through to see where one was going. Nevertheless, there were still some parts of this forest where the trees were so closely together that it would be recommended to bring a flashlight along to be able to navigate through. But the two friends were currently in one of the brighter lit areas, so there was nothing to worry about running into a tree unless they closed their eyes. Edna sat down on the ground right underneath a tree and leaned her head against its trunk. It was funny, when one thought about it, she had gone through this forest almost every day in the past two months and yet she never spent some time doing nothing but relaxing. Whenever she wanted to relax, she usually went to the field where the Key Master's house was located or to the park.  
"It's nice here, isn't it?", her companion remarked, sitting down next to her.  
"It is, but it's a little too quiet here", she agreed. The corners of her mouth moved upwards as she began to reminisce. "But I remember how we used to spend so much time in the forest back home – me and Mattis, sometimes Alfred too. We used to have bicycle tours throughout fall. Mattis always prepared a great big pot of noodle soup for lunch and then we were out cycling all day long. When we were back home in the evening, we drank some hot chocolate and just talked or we watched a movie together." Edna sighed in content, not noticing that she rested her head against the Key Master's shoulder. "I wish I could experience this all with you too..."  
She did not know whether she said the last part out loud or in her mind but she also found that she did not mind it if he had heard her.  
"I wouldn't mind it, Princess", the Key Master responded, putting an arm around her and, maybe it was only her imagination, pulling her closer. Edna made a contented sound, closing her purple eyes. For the first time, she was glad she left Harvey home; he would have just ruined the moment. But this, this moment was perfect. A beautiful day, alone in the forest, birds tweeting their joyful melodies somewhere in the distance and him holding her close. A perfect moment to tell him how you feel, Edna thought to herself, opening her eyes. But was it really the moment? She wanted to but she could not bring herself; she was too nervous. Why was it so difficult for her to tell the Key Master what she felt for him? It was no different from telling someone something else, anything else. No, there are some discrepancies, Edna told herself mentally. She knew that the relationship between two people could drastically change when one admits he or she felt more than friendship towards the other. The other could reciprocate their feelings or not but in the end, their friendship was no more, although it did not always have to be this way. Nonetheless, Edna decided it was better to wait until she was ready to admit to the Key Master that she felt more than friendship for him.

* * *

Ben looked in worry at his girlfriend. He could hardly believe what he just heard. Two perfectly healthy girls were brought here all because they were connected to Edna in one way or another? Doctor Marcel really lost his marbles. Why was there nobody doing anything against him, except Ben and Amy? And they could not do everything to stop this mad man. They needed help but there was a slight problem; all of their friends were on vacation.  
"What about the friends you made a few weeks ago, when you joined Anika and her friends on their girls' day?", Ben suggested. Amy pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through her contacts; she had gotten the numbers of her new friends back then.  
"Hm, I could call Anika but I don't want her to cancel the vacation. She's been looking forward to our trip to the US", Amy muttered more to herself than to Ben. She shook her head. "No, I can't force her to cancel the trip. Let's see... who else do I have here?"  
She continued going through her contacts, only finding Gregor, Bianca and Sebastian. Wait a minute, there was one person missing in her list. She scanned her list of contacts once more, again unable to find one specific name.  
"Huh? That's strange, I thought I had Edna's number too", Amy mumbled. Ben, who had his eyes on the monitors, swiveled on his chair to look at her.  
"Do you really want her to know about this? What if she comes here to save them? She would be walking straight into Doctor Marcel's trap", he said. Amy sighed and gazed at her boyfriend:  
"I know but I still feel she should know..."  
She sighed again and leaned back, glancing at the monitor that showed the recreation room for a moment and saw Hulgor and Babbitt taking Tina and Lilli away. Her brain registered this all a second later and she did a double take.  
"Hey, what are Hulgor and Babbitt doing?", she questioned, frowning at the monitor. Ben turned around to look at the spot she was looking at. His jaw dropped and his eyebrows furrowed.  
"I don't know but whatever it is, it can't be good", he answered in a low voice. The young couple followed the four as they got from one room to another, quickly figuring out they were taking the girls to one of the solitary cell, an empty one at that. Doctor Marcel and Anes waited in front of the cell door, the latter carrying a camera in his hands.  
"D'you reckon they're making something like a blackmail video?", Ben guessed out loud, watching the six going inside the cell.  
"Could be, he has to let Edna somehow know he got her friends captive", Amy replied. "I guess I should better let her friends know about this tomorrow morning... Or I'd better call them now."  
A few minutes later, they saw the four men and two girls leaving the cell and Hulgor and Babbitt bringing them back to the recreation room. Amy let out the breath she did not notice she was holding. She was afraid that the two would be forced to make blue terry cloth rabbits too.

* * *

Edna did a walk through town with Bianca, talking about their day. She only wanted to go to the supermarket to buy some beverages and happened to meet her half-Italian friend on her way. Bianca told her how she, Sebastian and her brother Luca were at the beach all day long. From what she told Edna, it seemed that Sebastian was getting more and more interested in her. The former inmate of an asylum was glad for her friend; ever since she learned about Bianca's feelings for Sebastian she thought they would make a cute couple. It helped that they sometimes behaved like a synchronized duo.  
"And how was your day?", Bianca asked after she was finished talking about her day.  
"It was nice, spent it with a friend", Edna replied. "But guess who we met in the park?"  
"Well, judging from the annoyance in your voice, I suppose it was Heike, in company with Daniel", the half-Italian guessed. She tilted her head. "Was Gabrielle there too?"  
"Yep, and you should have seen her. She actually told Heike off", Edna said, still clearly impressed at Gabrielle. Bianca looked at her, astonishment written all over her face. Edna proceeded to tell her about the little incident in the park. Her pale, dark haired friend looked pretty much impressed and also proud. The purple haired and purple eyed woman reckoned it was because her friend knew Gabrielle from her time before she became Heike's lapdog. Hearing how she told the platinum blond bitch off seemed to satisfy Bianca.  
The two females reached the supermarket by the time Edna finished speaking. They were about to enter the store when Bianca stopped walking.  
"See that trailer over there?", she asked, pointing at the aforementioned vehicle. Edna followed her friend's eyes, spotting the mode of transportation.  
"Yes, I see it. What about it?"  
"It hasn't left the parking lot for two days, apparently because something happened here", Bianca recounted. Edna frowned at her.  
"Really? What happened here?", she inquired.  
"The police was here two days ago and I overheard a man telling them that their daughter wanted to go back into the trailer while he and his wife were paying for their groceries but when they got there, she was nowhere to be seen", Bianca said. "The parents ruled out that she ran away but I didn't hear why."  
"And can't they just call her on her phone?", Edna questioned.  
"Maybe she doesn't have it on her? Or empty batteries?"  
"Didn't think about that..."  
Edna kept staring at the trailer, feeling sympathy for the parents of the disappeared daughter. She could hardly imagine how painful the loss of a child had to be but she had a feeling it was similar to a child losing their parents, like she experienced. She contemplated going over and console the people inside the vehicle.  
"Edna, what are you thinking about?", Bianca inquired as though she knew what Edna was contemplating.  
"About going over and talking with them", Edna replied, nodding towards the trailer.  
"I don't think it would be wise. Who knows what they might think", Bianca said, sounding kind of concerned. She took Edna by her arm. "Come on, let's go inside."  
She led her into the supermarket with Edna glimpsing behind her to the trailer. The owners of the vehicle and their missing daughter did not leave her mind, not once while she was buying lemonade – and not noticing Bianca being busy with her phone for a moment – or when she left the supermarket and was on her way back home after saying some words of departure to Bianca. She could not say why they would not leave her head. Was it because their fate was an inverted version of her own fate? But there was still a small yet significant difference – her parents were in a place she would not reach any time soon but these people still had the chance of seeing their daughter again.  
"Welcome home, Princess", the Key Master greeted her the moment she entered the living room. Edna nodded and raised her hand in acknowledgement, not really aware of her surroundings. She went to the kitchen and put the bottle of lemonade next to the refrigerator before going into her room, all the while walking like she was in a trance with how deep she was lost in thought. She let herself fall on her bed with a heavy sigh.  
"Edna? Are you alright?", Harvey asked her worriedly. The young woman turned her head and looked at her blue friend. She was about to answer when a knock interrupted her.  
"Princess? Can I come in?", the Key Master called from the other side.  
"Yes", Edna called back, sitting up. The Key Master entered her room and approached her, stopping right in front of her bed.  
"Is everything alright? You look like there's something on your mind."  
He looked at her as concerned as he and Harvey just sounded. Edna patted an empty spot next to her while simultaneously taking her terry cloth lagomorph in her arms. Her other friend of a peculiar color understood her invitation and sat down on the spot she indicated at a second ago. She was glad she had two individuals who she could talk to or else she would go mad. Thus she took a deep breath and told both males what was on her mind.

"It's silly, isn't it?", Edna commented after she was done talking about it.  
"No, not at all", the Key Master and Harvey replied at the same time, much to Edna's amusement. At first, a tiny grin appeared on her face, which grew into a large toothy grin that would make Petra proud and at last, she laughed. It was not a loud and boisterous laugh or one when a person would be rolling nor was it a tiny giggle; it was just something in-between. Both the Key Master and Harvey looked at her in puzzlement, most likely wondering if they said something wrong.  
"Uh Princess?", the Key Master spoke up. Still grinning, Edna looked at him. "Did I say something funny?"  
"Oh that", she chortled. "Not exactly, but you and Harvey said the exact same thing at the same time like you two were one and the same. I couldn't help but laugh a little about this."  
She gave the Key Master a smile, which he reciprocated with one of his own. Mumbling something about not wanting to bother her anymore, he was about to get up. However, Edna took his hand, preventing him from leaving. She gazed at him, silently asking him to stay – and ignoring the retching noises Harvey made. The Key Master sat down again, looking at Edna as if he was expecting her to say something.  
"You could never bother me", she admitted. "And I'd like it if you keep me company for just a little longer."  
"Well, if you want me to", the Key Master replied. "But you know, perhaps you should talk with the parents of the missing girl. You could offer your help in finding them."  
"So, you're of the same opinion as me, right?", Edna asked, leaning close to the Key Master.  
"Well, obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested that you talk to them, would I?", he retorted.  
"You got a point there", the young woman shrugged. "You know, I'm going to see them tomorrow. I don't care if Bianca thinks of this as a bad idea; I just want to help them."

* * *

Their game of _Hoth Motigor_ was over for the moment; King Adrian had other duties to fulfill – whatever they were. Petra enjoyed herself by drawing a picture of a lonely butterfly on a gray background. Drogglejug stood guard in front of the cushion castle, as always. The Beeman, Tina and Lilli watched a documentary about bees – on the bald man's insistence. The two girls were actually waiting for Maestro Frank, who was currently using the laundry lift.  
"I go see if he's back yet", Tina announced, rising to her feet. The other two made noises of acknowledgement before she left the television room. She nodded to Drogglejug in greeting as she passed him on her way through the main area to the second hallway. There, she went through the first door on her right hand side. There she came face to face with a bearded bald man dressed in a dark gray coat. Tina wondered if the Ticket Inspector ever wore anything different.  
"Tickets please!", the Ticket Inspector said in a loud and clear voice.  
"I don't have one, I j –", Tina began to explain but he interrupted her:  
"Then stop holding off the line."  
Tina raised an eyebrow and looked around, as though she was expecting a group of humanoids to reveal themselves.  
"What line? There's no one here but us", she pointed out.  
"Quiet! Get off the platform before I personally throw you out!"  
Tina rolled her eyes; there was no going through him. Hoping she would see Maestro Frank soon, she left with a huffed "fine". No wonder why the Ticket Inspector was an inmate in an asylum; he was mad enough to belong here. She was about to return to Lilli and the Beeman in the television room when a few guards appeared.  
"Everyone gather around! It's time for dinner!", one of them announced in a loud voice. Several other guards went to the other rooms to get the inmates from there. One by one, the patients gathered together. Tina looked around, spotting Lilli, King Adrian, Petra and Drogglejug in the crowd. But the others kept coming until everyone, including Maestro Frank, was gathered. Once they were all together, the guards escorted them to the cafeteria like they were a herd of sheep. Tina actually glanced around, expecting to see some sheepdogs running around. Every single time they go through the whole procedure, she pondered to herself whether this was normal, or rather as normal as it could be in such a place, or if it was only in this asylum. But considering what she heard so far about Doctor Marcel and how he treated his patients, not to mention the short time she and Lilli had to spend with him just so he can film a video to lure Edna here, it would be no surprise. All she could hope for was that Maestro Frank succeeded in his mission of stealing the DVD. She would try to sit next to him and ask him in the cafeteria.  
They all reached their destination, the inmates all sat down at the dinner tables. Tina was lucky, she shared a table with Professor Nock, Drogglejug, Maestro Frank and, to her annoyance, the Ticket Inspector. A moment later, trolleys were rolled into the cafeteria by employees, who gave the patients their dinner. Beefsteak with potatoes and carrots and peas as side dish was on the menu. Their beverages were only water since they forgot to buy different drinks for the inmates. At least, that was what Tina overheard one of the employees mumbling on the way here. She waited until the guys who rolled the trolleys in left and until guards were positioned at every exit and for everyone to start eating before she poked Maestro Frank's shoulder with her index finger.  
"Did you manage to get the DVD?", she whispered when he glanced at her. Maestro Frank shook his head almost unnoticeably. Tina refrained herself from sighing and instead opted to start eating.

* * *

Dinner was also being served in a place where Tina would certainly rather be – her apartment. In this case, Edna and the Key Master enjoyed a pizza the former ordered half an hour ago while watching some _Star Trek_ episodes on DVD.  
"I will never be able to take _La donna è mobile_ seriously", Edna half-laughed, half-stated after the cold opening of the episode _Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy_. She leaned forward to grab a slice of pizza while the main title sequence was running.  
"It's undeniably more hilarious than the original song", the Key Master commented before taking sip of the lemonade Edna purchased earlier. "But that thing the laughing man was going through... what exactly was that again?"  
"Pon farr, you could essentially call it the mating season for Vulcans that happens once every seven years", Edna explained, peacefully munching her slice of pizza. Her male friend breathed an "ah" and nodded in acknowledgement but made no other comments. The main title sequence was over and the actual episode just started. After her conversation with the Key Master about the parents missing their child she realized she needed something to cheer herself up. This was why she ordered a pizza – that, and the fact she as too lazy to make something by herself – and started watching one of the funniest episodes in the _Star Trek_ franchise. It really helped her for she was in a much better mood by the time the episode was over. She and the Key Master proceeded to watch two or three more episodes before realizing they could do with sleep. Or rather, he could do with sleep; Edna did not feel sleepy yet. Nonetheless, she switched her outfit of the day against a pair of shorts and a purple, oversized shirt.  
"Good night, hope your sleeping bag's comfortable", she bade the Key Master. Feeling a little bold, she even went as far as giving him a hug.  
"You sleep well too, Princess", he replied, returning the hug, much to her surprise and delight. However, when they parted he gave her a once-over and commented: "Isn't that my shirt?"  
Edna's eyes widened and her mouth became her thin, curved line when she suddenly recalled where she got this shirt from. She remembered taking it home to wash it for him but they had a fight not long afterwards and she refused to see him. Out of sight, out of mind, as one would say.  
"I'm not gonna take it off now. I would like to keep it a secret how I look like underneath the shirt", she commented. Her green-skinned friend chortled.  
"I'm not asking you to but I wonder what it says about you that you actually expected this from me", he smirked. Edna rolled her eyes good-naturedly and lightly punched his shoulder, and went to her bedroom. At the door, she turned around for one last look at him and waved; he waved back. With a smile adorning her face, she entered her room, where she made herself comfortable on her bed with her parents' diaries and Harvey. As always, she first took Vivian's to read, knowing she would be finished with it soon. She had read several pages of both diaries every night before drifting off to sleep and she knew she was getting close to the date of her mother's death. A part of her was a little terrified to learn what happened to her mother but another part of her had a curiosity the size of Canada. Officer Schmitz mentioned at her hearing that what happened to Vivian was horrible... and speaking of her hearing, should there not be a letter regarding her sentence or something similar arriving soon? Or were perhaps the charges dropped because Heike and Daniel lied about what happened? Oh well, she would find out soon enough. Not thinking about this anymore, she opened the lavender blue diary and read about the things she and her mother used to do together, about Vivian watching her and Alfred play together, and about them going to the daycare center her mother worked at. Whenever Edna finished reading about one day, she switched over to Mattis's diary and read about the same day from his point of view. He did not watch the two children play together as often as his wife since he was quite busy with his work but it did not mean he neglected his family. Quite the opposite, they all did things together very often, sometimes with Alfred coming along too if Doctor Marcel was too busy with his works. But usually the doctor insisted that his son stayed with him; Edna never knew why and neither did her parents. She kept on reading until late into the night when the lamp on her bedside table provided the only light in the room, she was about to close the diaries and go to sleep when she noticed the date of the final entry in the one belonging to her mother: June 29th, 1995. It was the day before her death. Edna's heart began to race. This was it, the point of no return. She had a hunch what Mattis wrote in his diary on the following day. But did she really want to know this now? Would it perhaps be better to wait? No, she wanted to know what happened back then for so long, she was not going to chicken out. So, bracing herself she began to read:

 _June 29th, 1995_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today was such a lovely warm day, perfect to go to the lake. Mattis had to work, unfortunately, so it was just me, Edna and Alfred (Doctor Marcel was kind enough to let him come along too). We were usually only in shallow water but I also seized the opportunity to teach them how to swim. They were really good students, I'm sure they'll be able to swim without any kind of aid in no time. I love watching Edna and Alfred play together, she is so happy and he is like a normal little boy. Every time he was in company of his father, he behaved like a miniature adult. It's kind of disconcerting... Anyway, we had a lovely day together at the lake, swimming, playing and eating ice cream. I hope we can do it again tomorrow, but with Mattis joining us._

Blurred memories of the day flashed by while Edna read about it. She found some consolation that her mother died the day after she had several hours of fun and joy – Edna hoped Vivian experienced the same emotions on her death day. If only she had written about the thirtieth of June but Edna guessed her mother was probably killed before she had the chance to. She closed the lavender blue diary and took the one in brown leather. However, this was just about Mattis's regret of not being able to join his wife, his daughter and his daughter's friend to the lake. But the next entry was the interesting and also scariest one:

 _June 30th, 1995_

 _Today's weather was just like yesterday's, so we spent the day at the lake, this time with me coming along. Vivian told me it was easier to watch the kids when there was a second adult with her, especially since Edna has even more energy than a hyperactive rabbit. Our daughter seemed to enjoy teasing Alfred whenever she can; I hope it's just a phase._

 _After we returned home, I brought Alfred back to Doctor Marcel and we talked a little about our professions. Well, as best as we could since he listened to opera music, loudly. I think I lost some of my hearing... But I wish I would have gone back to our house the moment Alfred was back with his father, then maybe Vivian would still be alive. I found her mutilated body in the kitchen, the backdoor was wide open. The door leading to the rest of the house was slightly ajar, I feared for the worst. I was afraid I would find Edna in the same state as her mother but when I entered the hallway, I heard a soft cry in the corner farthest from the kitchen away. It was Edna, she told me that she and Vivian heard a crash in the kitchen and that Vivian went to check what happened there. Edna followed her, peeked through the gap and saw a scary looking man hurting Vivian. The man didn't notice her and Edna fled to the corner I found her curled up in. The thought that a four year old saw what happened with her own eyes worries me... The police appeared shortly afterwards and a neighbor from across the street who heard Vivian's screams. He told me he saw Edmund The Slasher running from our property. If only I had gotten home sooner, if only the opera music hadn't been so loud, then maybe Vivian would still be alive..._

Edna closed the diary, leaving it on her lap. She stared straight ahead at an empty spot on her bed but did not really see it. She was a million miles away in her mind. So, that was happened to Vivian, murdered by the most psychotic killer in the history of her old hometown. He was even worse than the Key Master when she still thought of him as mad but compared to Edmund The Slasher was the other man harmless. Edna closed her eyes, seeing the blurred image of a face in her mind. It was the face of a man, his silvery gray eyes opened wide and unblinking. They showed nothing but madness. He had the creepiest mile across his face. His hair was long, dark and matted, as though he never washed it. Edna opened her eyes with a loud gasp. She did not expect to remember the face of her mother's murderer at once. She thought she would see something different in her mind's eye, like Mattis when he found her. Vivian's body had been mutilated; the adjective Officer Schmitz used a few weeks ago seemed to be an understatement for Edna. A new word had to be invented to describe Vivian's fate, if one would ask Edna. How heartless could a person be to murder the mother of a young child? Her vision got blurry when she became teary-eyed. The worst part was that she could barely remember anything about her mother for years. It made her feel like a horrible daughter.  
"If only you were still alive, Mom", Edna breathed. "You didn't deserve to die like this..."  
She kept in reading, learning more things that depressed her. During the autopsy of Vivian's body, they noticed that she was pregnant again. Did she know about this? How far along was she? The answers for neither question were hidden in Mattis's diary entries. They were all kept short since the one about Vivian's murder, some days were even missing. The one that was dated on Vivian's funeral was botched with tears that had dried after almost two decades, making it almost unreadable at certain parts. However, there was one entry, dated about a month after Vivian's death, which caught Edna's interest:

 _July 27th, 1995_

 _Edna began talking with her rag doll rabbit like it was an actual person. I hope it's just a phase, a way for her to deal with her mother's death..._

Edna stared slack-jawed at the entry. Was this why she used to have so many conversations with Harvey, some of which even lasted for hours? But if this was just a way for her to deal with her mother's murder, then why had she never stopped speaking with him, even after having forgotten about the whole ordeal? Had Doctor Marcel not once said that Harvey was the anchor that kept her chained to her past? Perhaps there was some truth to it; it was through his help that she began to remember her past and he was very much like the child she once was. But he became silent far more often the more she matured. Did this mean that she was letting go of her childhood? That she was ready to face her future? Edna shook her head, knowing she was not quite ready – Harvey still spoke to her from time to time and she still had not let go of something very important from her past – the deaths of Alfred and Mattis. She let herself fall on her back with a loud sigh and rolled onto her side, so that Mattis's diary ended up lying next to her legs. The young woman stared straight ahead to a wall.  
"Harvey?"  
"Yes? What is it, Edna?", her blue rabbit replied. Edna took Mattis's diary and showed him the entry he made on the last day of June.  
"Can you tempomorph me to this day?", she asked. Harvey looked at the diary before glancing uncertainly at her:  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes."  
She gazed determinedly at her oldest friend, who sighed an "alright". The moment he said the word, they were engulfed in a bright white light and transported to the past.

It was the end of a hot summer day; the sun showed first signs of its retreat beyond the horizon, to an unseen part of the world. Every single thing looked much bigger – the chairs, the table, the garden gnomes, even Harvey. There was nothing that did not appear to be giant, not even the only other human around. Yet, little four year old Edna felt no fear towards her, quite the opposite actually. She felt safe in the presence of this woman. The woman had a kind face, purple eyes and hair like her daughter, although the hair was styled much more wildly. She wore a simple dress as red as blood.  
"Come sweetheart, it's time for bed", Vivian said in a kind voice.  
"Aw, do I have to?", little Edna, who was holding her Harvey, asked while her mother picked her up.  
"Oh yes, or else you'll be too tired to play tomorrow when the sun comes out again", her mother replied, entering the house through the backdoor. However, neither they nor the neighbors realized that stranger crept into their backyard not long after mother and daughter and rabbit went inside  
Edna always found that the furniture and other objects in their house looked strange whenever she viewed them from a higher place, like when she was on Vivian's arms. Edna was usually barely able to see anything that was on a higher platform, unless it was not particularly high or the objects on the higher platforms were tall – one example would be the potted plant on the window sill. Vivian ascended the stairs in the hallway; Edna's eyes were directed at the head of the funny looking animal attached to the wall. She had never seen anything that had such an odd head and she did not know what it was; she did not even now if such an animal really existed. But if it did, she would like to see one some day.  
"How about I read you a bedtime story?", Vivian suggested, causing Edna to look at her with a big grin and an enthusiastic nod. "I take that as a yes."  
They reached the top of the stairs and Vivian turned to her right hand side, where a second set of stairs led up to Edna's room. This little obstacle was conquered in less than five minutes and they reached the realm of the youngest family member. It did not look much different from when she was eight years old, with a few exceptions. There were several toys that would later be given away to the daycare center when Edna got older; one shelf was only filled with children's book, the clothes in her closet were much smaller and she had no posters hanging over her bed. Also, there was no diary on her desk yet since she would not start writing in one until she learned how to read and write, which would be in two years.  
Edna was put down on her bed and changed into a lilac nightgown by her mother. The little girl was not happy of the prospect of having to brush her teeth. She did not understand why she had to do this every day. What was the point? Even the few visits to the dentist she had behind her were pointless. Plus, brushing her teeth wasted three precious minutes of playing in her life in the morning and in the evening each.  
"Now then, you go brush your teeth and then we'll –", a loud crash from downstairs interrupted Vivian, who frowned at the door. "I wonder if that's your father. Go brush your teeth; I'll go downstairs to check."  
She left her daughter's bedroom, with Edna, who took Harvey in her arms, following behind her. However, instead of doing what her mother said, she snuck after her. She was as quiet as a mouse, walking several steps behind Vivian just so she would not be detected by her. Soon, Vivian reached the kitchen and entered, letting the door fall into the frame. But it was left slightly ajar, enabling Edna to see the most gruesome display in her short, young life.  
"Mattis? Are you home?", Vivian called, almost stepping into the shards of her broken cup, which she had left next to the kitchen sink. She frowned at the shards, it was unlike Mattis to accidentally break something; he was usually too careful. Vivian looked around, expecting to see her husband somewhere when she came face to face with the most insane and psychotic smirk anyone had ever seen. He held a long knife in his hand, bringing it down on her chest, right were her heart was. From where the knife pierced Vivian's body, he let it carve downwards her upper body. Then he did he same with her arms, hands, legs and even throat. He slashed her face until it was unrecognizable. Every stitch, every slash was punctuated by Vivian's screams as her blood ran down from all of her wounds, drenching her dress. It was not long until the screams of unbearable pain stopped but the scary man kept using the knife on her. Edna, horrified of what she had seen and afraid she would be next if he saw her, ran away to the corner where their coats hung on the rack and curled herself up in the corner next to the stairs. Suddenly she heard a mad laugh coming from the kitchen and little Edna closed her eyes, holding Harvey close and softly weeping.  
How long she sat there and cried, she did not know. She only became aware of her surroundings again when a lanky man picked her up and held her close. Edna opened her eyes to see her father through her blurred vision. Before she knew it, she told them what she had seen, everything from hearing a crash to the dangerous stranger hurting her mommy. The police and a neighbor appeared not long after the little girl told her tale. She heard her father directing the authorities to the kitchen in a broken voice and asking the neighbor to keep an eye on her, sounding as if he was far away. But it was not only his voice that sounded like this, everyone spoke as if they were getting farther and farther away until Edna could not hear them anymore. The bright white light engulfed her and Harvey again as she followed Mattis to the kitchen, the sight of the mutilated corpse was the last thing they saw before being transported back to the present.  
That was when she let out a loud gasp. Her heart raced and she was drenched in sweat like she just ran a marathon. Breathing heavily, she looked around in disorientation soon realizing several things; she was not four years old anymore, she was not little anymore and that she was in no danger. Actually witnessing her mother's death, instead of reading them in the diary was far more gruesome. Why, just why had Edmund The Slasher decided to kill her mother? Why had the police not captured him sooner? She had been fortunate that the killer never noticed her either or else she would be dead too. Edna did not know what to do; she was in a shock. Slowly in a trance-like state, she stood up and paced around in her bedroom. Oh, if only she had someone who could just hold her; she really needed a hug... Hang on; there was someone who could give her just that. Was there not the Key Master right there in the next room? But should she really wake him and ask him to hold her? What if she pulled him out of a pleasant dream? Would he be mad and refuse her request? Even as she thought this, she knew he would not react like this. He might be a little dazed and not as happy as a clam but he would certainly not be furious. Taking one deep breath, Edna took determined steps to the dark living room and to a long heap on the floor that she could barely make out. She needed a moment to see which end was which. As soon as she knew where the Key Master's head was, she kneeled next to him and shook him awake.  
"Key Master? Are you awake?", Edna asked, mentally cursing herself for sounding so desperate. She noted her voice as also thick in her sadness but this she could live with. One would have to be heartless and emotionless to not feel sad after having seen what she had seen.  
"Yes? What's wrong, Princess?", he asked groggily.  
"I need you...", Edna admitted in a tiny voice. In the darkness, she could see him sitting up and, even though she could not see his face, she knew he looked at her in worry.  
"What happened?", he asked in a concerned voice.  
"Well...", she began, shifting in a more comfortable sitting position, and told the Key Master about her resurfaced memory. By the time she reached the end, she was in tears. He said no words and if she could see his face, she would only see an unreadable expression. Nonetheless, she felt his arms around her body and, a second later, her own head came in contact with his chest. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her. She felt how he stroked the back of her head with a gentleness she never expected from him. There was no need for the Key Master to say any words; his little gestures were enough to make Edna feel better. As long as he was here with her, she would have nothing to fear. He was her tower of strength whenever she needed one. She did not want to imagine a life without him...  
"Will you... will you stay with me for the rest of the night?", Edna requested in a tiny voice.  
"Yes", was his simple answer. He removed his arms from her to fully open the sleeping bag and stood up. Taking her hand, he pulled her up and they returned to her room. Edna quickly put the diaries that still lay on her bed away before they could both lay arm in arm on the soft surface of her mattress. Her head was close to his heart again, its steady rhythm sounding like a lullaby to her.  
"Sleep well, Princess", the Key Master said in a sleepy voice.  
"Thanks, and you too", Edna responded, closing her eyes. Soon, she was in the land of dreams, fortunately with no unpleasant memories of her past.


	21. Friends In Need

Thank you for your review, Julayla. It was actually a coincidence that Edmund The Slasher killed Edna's mom. My original plan was to use a random killer but then I replayed _Harvey's New Eyes_ and the policeman mentioned the guy and I thought why not use a guy who's been mentioned in one of the games? Another reference to the game is his coming through the backdoor into the kitchen. Edna mentions in _The Breakout_ \- at least in the German version - that her father was adamant about keeping this door locked. So, I thought the reason could be that the murderer of his wife came through there.

Hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

 **Friends In Need**

"What happened? Why did you want to see us?"  
Those questions, posed by Sebastian, were something every person who was present wondered for themselves too. He, Bianca, Gregor and Anika had all met up in a café with Amy after she wrote them all, except her sister, a message. The table groaned under the weight of all the rolls, croissants, butter, jam, chocolate cream, sausages, cakes and hot beverages.  
"And how come you didn't want to see your own sister?", Anika questioned, raising an eyebrow and stirring her coffee.  
"We were supposed to travel to the US and I know how much you were looking forward to this. I didn't want you to miss the chance of seeing the states", Amy explained.  
"You said in your message for Gregor that a common friend is in need. I think that's more important than a vacation. A country won't run away but a friend could be lost", Anika reasoned. Amy narrowed her eyes at her sister's boyfriend, who grinned sheepishly, for telling her about the message but she knew she could not change it now. What had happened had happened and it was unlikely that Anika would change her mind.  
"Hang on a minute, Edna and Tina are missing", Bianca realized. "Are both of them in trouble or one of them?"  
"You've got it!", the young therapist confirmed with a nod. "It's Tina who is in trouble."  
"But if it's only her who is in trouble, why isn't Edna sitting here with us?", Gregor questioned. The others spoke out their desire to know the answer about this too, their voices becoming one discombobulated mess. Amy found it difficult to listen to them all individually, so she raised her hand to silence them.  
"Everyone, quiet down and listen to me", she said in a calming voice. The friends' reaction was kind of comical; they all simultaneously leaned forward with attentive eyes and ears. They hung on Amy's lips like a climber to a rope. Glad to have their attention now, she began to explain:  
"You all know how Edna broke out of a mental institution a couple of years ago, right?"  
Her companions nodded in confirmation.  
"Well, my boyfriend works in this asylum and I held a few therapy sessions there, as you know. Sometimes, I enjoy spending my time with the patients to get them to know better and I also talked with some of the employees, so I would say I am quite knowledgeable of the on-goings in the asylum. It was the head of this establishment, Doctor Marcel, who had Tina and another girl kidnapped. He has a personal vendetta against Edna, so we assume he kidnapped them to lure Edna back to the asylum. That's why I didn't call her; I don't want her to walk straight into his trap."  
Her explanation was met with concerned faces and furrowed eyebrows. A slice of bread that Sebastian was about to take a bite of was suspended in the air, supported only by his hand. Gregor still held the handle of his cup of cappuccino, which he drank a sip from mere moments ago. Anika and Bianca took each others' hands, the latter frowning at Amy as though she hoped it was all some kind of sick joke.  
"But what do you reckon we should do?", Anika asked. "Sneak in and smuggle them out?"  
"Actually yes", her older sister confirmed, to general astonishment. "However, we would still need to think of a plan. Most of the guards working there are on the side of Doctor Marcel; though I'm sure I convinced some think that what he's doing is wrong... Anyway, we would need to be careful, especially in the areas with security cameras and that's the majority of the rooms. Our best odds are when it's Ben and Bladder having their shift in the surveillance room. Ben is on our side, naturally, and it's easy to distract Bladder."  
She spoke in an amazing speed and with such a certainty that one would think she had already done this several times. The four friends exchanged unsure glances.  
"There's really some dude working there whose name is 'Bladder'?", Sebastian asked in a disbelieving voice. Bianca threw him a reproachful look, telling him there were more important matters at hand than the odd name of some guy. He ignored this since Amy answered his question with an affirmative nod at the same time.  
"And what exactly is your plan?", the half-Italian asked. "I mean, you must have thought up one, right?"  
"Right", Amy replied, beckoning them all to come closer. They all did so, whereupon she whispered her plan to them.

* * *

Not once did Edna wake up after the Key Master had joined her in her bed following her nightmarish flashback of her mother's murder. At the moment, she lay awake in his arms with her eyes still closed. She liked the way they with him holding her close and she embracing him; she could get used to it. Edna felt how the Key Master stroked the back of her head before resting his hand on the small of her back. Slowly but surely, she opened her ocular organs to find him gazing at her.  
"Mornin'", she greeted him a little sleepily.  
"Good morning", he replied, withdrawing his hand from the small of her back. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Yes, thanks to you", the corners of Edna's mouth moved upwards after she gave her response. "Thank you for staying with me last night."  
"Don't mention it, that's what friends are for after all", the Key Master replied giving a dismissive wave with his hand. Nonetheless, Edna gazed fondly at him just because he was there when she needed a friend.  
"How about breakfast?", she suggested while sitting up. "And afterwards we could go to town?"  
"Sure", he replied, also sitting up. They got up and left the room for kitchen, intending to find something edible.

* * *

Meanwhile, things could not be better for Doctor Marcel. Or rather, they could hardly be any better for him. It was just a matter of time until that insubordinate girl was back in his institution, where she belonged, and this time, his hypnosis and correction of character would work on her. He worked and reworked his methods for years and now he was confident he had perfected it. Of course, he could only say it for sure after he used his method on her. He once thought he had perfected it when he used it on Lilli only to realize it was not the case. Of course, he could try another attempt on this girl but he found it better to use Edna as his guinea pig. She should feel honored; it would be much more than she was worth.  
Doctor Marcel was on his way back to his office after his daily visit to his Alfred memorial room. He heard the patients' antics as he rolled past the recreation room. Sounded like someone was angry because somebody else cheated in a board game. Doctor Marcel shook his head and rolled his only eye; it never ceased to amaze him how ludicrous these loonies behaved. But why should he care? It was much easier to just keep them here and pretend to have therapy sessions, which was why he usually had this rather inexperienced Amy over to hold sessions – at least since the other one moved away. If his asylum would not be inspected on a regular basis by those of a higher hierarchy, meaning the mayor who visited once every two months, he would not even bother with the therapy sessions. The mayor would always ask questions and it immensely annoyed Doctor Marcel.  
"Ah Anes, I trust you brought the DVD with the blackmail to Edna", Doctor Marcel remarked as he came across his most trusted minion.  
"Of course, doctor, of course I did. You know you can always rely on me", Anes replied in his oiliest voice. Babbitt, who walked past them, pretended to throw up once he was out of sight. None of the other two noticed it, being too busy to discuss what they were going to do when they captured Edna. Doctor Marcel knew he had to lock her up but so that she could not escape so easily. Perhaps tying her up, like he did a few years ago, would be a good idea. After all, it would be quite impossible for her to get into the air vent when she was all tied up. Then after he finally corrected her personality, like he wanted to since she was a small child, he would do the same with every single child in the world. What good were they anyway, apart from keeping the humanoid species alive? Nothing, except for headaches and a much lighter wallet because of how expensive raising a child could be. Even Alfred was not immune to this, despite his father's methods for raising him. Nonetheless, he was far superior from any other child; he had no need to play with them for very long. However, even Doctor Marcel had to waste money for toys, clothes and school books. Well, he could live with the third one and accept the second object on the list but toys were things no child needed.  
Doctor Marcel and Anes reached the former's office, entering the room. Ruben was already there, hidden in the corner between the fireplace and the grate that led into the air vent. The young man was therefore concealed from the points of view of the other two because of his position. Doctor Marcel only noticed him when he was in his usual spot behind his desk, though he made no indication that he spotted his oldest son.  
"What are your further plans when this Edna comes to save her friends?", Anes questioned.  
"First, we need to subdue her so that she can't walk around freely. Tie her up, I'd say", the older man replied. He briefly looked to his right, spotting the closet, before doing a double take. He recalled how he used to bribe Alfred and Edna's teacher Mister Hornbush to disadvantage the latter, even locking her up in the closet in the classroom. Doctor Marcel remembered how this girl would look warily at each closet and wardrobe she came across. He wondered if she still had this phobia...  
"Sir?", Anes spoke up, his eyes flickering alternatively between the doctor and the closet. "Is there something in there?"  
"No, except for the idea that's forming in my head", the old man replied, looking back at his employee. Anes raised his eyebrows in interest and slightly moved his head to indicate for his boss to continue. Doctor Marcel leaned back, cleared his throat and began to tell Anes about Edna's fear of closets. The younger man listened intently, nodding in acknowledgement at the right parts. A malicious smirk appeared on Anes's face. He steepled his fingers and chuckled evilly, in a way that made his boss proud. Ruben clenched his fists, knowing that his father would never feel the same pride for him he felt for his employee. His father would never accept anyone who was not Alfred or even Anes while he, Ruben, would always remain the forgotten secret son. How many people knew who he really was, apart from his own father, that little girl from a few years ago and the police officer he spoke with when he got his father out of jail? No one. People in this asylum, employees and patients, only knew him as 'The Phantom'. The only thing missing was that he was also singing but that was another guy. Still, he listened to Doctor Marcel's plan; if anyone was going to execute it, it would not be Anes but him, Ruben. Maybe then would his father realize he could rely on his oldest son.

* * *

Edna and the Key Master had finished their breakfast and the former had already gotten dressed. He was currently in the bathroom to wash and to get dressed, so she used the time to get some stuff out of her room: namely Harvey, her phone and some money.  
"Edna, why are you even taking me along? I feel like the third wheel when you're with the Key Master", the blue lagomorph inquired.  
"Well, I thought you would like to be out and enjoy the day", Edna replied, indicating towards the window, where a warm and gorgeous day awaited them beyond it.  
"Hm, it does look inviting. Ah, why not? Just don't start having a make out session with that guy in the bathroom", Harvey responded after taking a look outside.  
"Harvey!", Edna admonished her oldest friend indignantly. The rag doll rabbit snickered cheekily while the young woman rolled her eyes and shook her head. Nonetheless, she took him in her arms and left her room to find the Key Master standing in the living room.  
"Ready to go?", he asked the moment she stood in front of him.  
"As ready as I'll ever be", she confirmed with a nod.  
"We're ready to paint the town!", Harvey exclaimed excitedly as they all left the apartment. Since it was Edna's idea to go out, she could also decide where to go to. She thought for a while before going to the general direction of the park. However, this was not her destination, as her two male companions would soon find out. Instead she walked past it and further into the town until she reached the market place. Stands of various funfair games and for food as well as souvenirs were everywhere. Here and there were several rides, though not as many as a theme park would have, which was no surprise there. This one was just a carnival that would last for a week every year in summer.  
"Just as long as you don't waste too much money on those rigged carnival games", the Key Master commented upon arrival.  
"Don't worry, I won't", Edna assured him while thinking that perhaps she should have pocketed a little more money or that they should avoid the games. But she always preferred the rides over the games, so she could live with avoiding the latter. She and the Key Master strolled past the many stands, with her pointing at things she found funny now and then. She soon saw a merry-go-round and a big smile appeared on her face. It might be hard to believe but those were among her favorite rides since she associated fond and happy memories to merry-go-rounds. One of her first memories she regained shortly after her breakout was of her and Mattis visiting a funfair when she was five years old. He did not want to go on any of the speedy rides, otherwise his lunch would come out the same way it came in, and she was not allowed to go on any of them by herself. However, he had no issues with the merry-go-round, which was why they went on it together. Normally, Edna hated slow rides but this was there first time in forever she saw her father happy and relaxed and it was their first fun day for so long that complaining was the last thing on her mind. Since that day, she had developed a fondness for merry-go-rounds. They were also on the Ferris wheel; she could still remember being amazed of how far they could see and how tiny the people on the ground were. She used to imagine she was Godzilla and she was crushing those midgets with her giant, scaly, clawed foot. Sadly, Edna and her father rarely went to a funfair together, all because Doctor Marcel and Mister Hornbush had ganged up on her and had disadvantaged her, sometimes even when she had done a task correctly. Edna always took a sneak peek at Alfred's papers when no one was looking and there were instances when his answer was marked correct but hers not, despite being basically the same or exactly the same in case of one word answers, like the capital of a country.  
"How about we ride the merry-go-round? Or the Ferris wheel?", Edna suggested, nodding towards the respective rides.  
"What!? Why not any of those?", Harvey exclaimed, pointing towards the faster rides. However, Edna paid him no heed as she was looking at the Key Master expecting an answer.  
"The Ferris wheel, even though I prefer them at night", he replied. "But it's better than a merry-go-round."  
"What? Why?", Edna inquired as they made their way towards the line for the Ferris wheel.  
"I don't know, guess they're much too slow to be enjoyable for me and I always see them as the kind of ride that was made for children only", he replied, shrugging his shoulders. The young woman nodded in acknowledgement, giving no other answers, neither verbal nor non-verbal. Maybe it was only her fond memories that she liked such a slow ride but she had learned over the last few years that it was sometimes better to slow down, to see things from a different perspective. Edna stood on her tiptoes to see how long the line for the Ferris wheel was, determining that they would have to wait a while but not for hours since there were quite a lot of people in front of them but more and more kept appearing behind them. She looked around for the other nearby rides, finding it was the same as here with the majority. Since when did this town have so many citizens? Or were most of them tourists? If they were, she must have missed the memo of this town being a tourist attraction. She always thought only famous big cities, like New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro, coastal towns and those close to the mountains were popular tourist attractions, none of which this little town was.

* * *

While Edna and the Key Master were at the funfair, her other friends, with the exception of the kidnapped ones, were still gathered together and planning.  
"I've got a question", Sebastian spoke up. "Why aren't we saving them today instead of waiting until the day after tom – OUCH!"  
He rubbed his arm and glared at Bianca, who still had her fist clenched.  
"Weren't you listening?", she hissed. "Amy told us we have a better chance the day after tomorrow because we would have inside help."  
"That's right", Amy confirmed with a nod. "My boyfriend can and will help us but he can't today. He has to keep an eye on the security cameras in the surveillance room with a colleague who takes his tasks a little too seriously. Believe me, he's the only person who sends me away when I visit Ben."  
"But we would have no problem the day after tomorrow when Ben and this Bladder guy have a shift together?", Gregor questioned.  
"How? By talking so much about water that he has to run to the toilet?", Sebastian asked.  
"Judging by the name, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case", Anika commented.  
"Most likely, I'm not sure if Bladder is still as loyal to Doctor Marcel as he was a couple of years ago", Amy responded calmly. She stood up and put her hands in her hips. "Anyway, does everyone understand our plan? Any questions?"  
She was met with a collective murmur of none of them having any questions and understanding the plan perfectly.  
"Alright, don't forget, we will all meet at the park. Me and Anika will give you all a ride and we're gonna park the cars at my and Ben's house", the oldest person in this small round reminded them.  
"We know", Bianca acknowledged. She furrowed her eyebrows to show her concern. "I just hope Edna did not know anything about Tina's kidnapping yet..."  
Sebastian put a comforting arm around her and, even though she was frowning too, Anika gave the younger girl a reassuring smile and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
"Everything will be alright, you'll see", she said in a soothing voice. Bianca looked at her and Sebastian with a tiny smile, quietly whispering a word of thanks.  
"You know, I think I know how to cheer you up", the youngest male in the group said. He looked around at everyone else. "We all could go there and forget our worries for a few hours."  
"And where do you propose we go to?", Bianca questioned curiously. A smug grin spread across Sebastian's face as he let go of the half-Italian, stood up and circled around everyone else.  
"Have you all forgotten what this week is?", he questioned, putting his arms around Amy and Gregor. He was met by confused looks, especially from the therapist, but comprehension dawned on Bianca's face a minute later.  
"Of course! The annual funfair!", she responded with big, dark eyes. Sebastian nodded in confirmation.  
"Oh, it's already this week?", Anika replied. "I completely forgot!"  
"Well? What do y'all say?", Sebastian inquired, looking in the round with a big grin. Everyone else looked at each other, silently asking themselves the same question. Perhaps it would do them some good to relax and have fun for a few hours. However, there was a silent agreement between them that they would rather go all together with Edna and Tina. Hopefully, they would be able to after their rescue mission. It was therefore fortunate the funfair lasted for a week and they could technically all go the day after the next.  
The five friends left the café after paying, leaving behind a pile of empty coffee cups and mugs as well as plates. A waitress, who they paid to, glared after them because of the amount she had to clear, mumbling to herself that they at least gave her a generous tip. But none of those, who just left the establishment, thought about this. They spoke about the funfair, what they wanted to do or what they wanted to ride and about their desire to have Edna and Tina with them. Bianca actually tried contacting the former with her cell phone but could not reach her.  
"Maybe she's not in the mood?", Sebastian shrugged after Bianca tried to call Edna three times with no success.  
"Uh, how would you know whether or not she is in the mood if Bianca could not reach her?", Gregor pointed out. "Maybe Edna just didn't hear it or the battery's low."  
"Didn't think of it", Sebastian admitted. Bianca rolled her eyes and shook her hand but was nonetheless smiling.  
"Who knows, maybe she will go to the fair on her own sooner or later", Anika commented. "For all we know, she could even be already there. Actually, it would be cool if she were."  
They reached the funfair not long after Anika voiced her statement. Food stands, souvenir stands, game stands and rides as far as the eye could see were in every direction they looked. Well, as long as they were only in the marketplace. The fountain was in the center, so that the funfair was built in a circle around it. People on the particularly speedy rides screamed like they were doused with icy cold water. Somewhere, a father, who was trying to win a toy for his kid, taught his offspring a couple of colorful words they should not know or even use yet. Some people stood in line and others looked at the various stands. The five friends had separated, going to the stands or rides they wanted to go to. Anika and Gregor went one way while Amy accompanied Bianca and Sebastian to another direction. The couple of lovers walked past a couple of games until Anika stopped, her eyes set on a stuffed kangaroo.  
"Aw, isn't it just the cutest?", she cooed, looking like she was about to die from cuteness. Gregor grinned affectionately and went up to the person who ran the stand to try his luck. It was the classic game of having to throw a ball to knock over empty milk bottles. However, the operator seemed to be less than enthusiastic about working here; it was young girl covered in tattoos, who read some kind of music magazine. She did not even look up when Gregor paid for the balls for throwing. The only times she pulled her eyes away from her magazine was when she noticed him throwing out of the corner of her eye. His first throw was a complete failure but he fared much better with the two subsequent ones.  
"Congrats. You can choose one of those", she stated in a monotone voice, pointing towards a bunch of plush animal, among which the kangaroo Anika had her eyes on was. A happy laugh emitted from her when Gregor chose the bouncy animal from Down Under. She hugged it the moment it was in her arms and gave her boyfriend a kiss on the lips. The young operator rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine, ignoring them as they continued on their way.  
"Hey look, a Ferris wheel", Gregor pointed at the giant structure. Anika followed his finger, eyeing it with apprehension, before examining the line.  
"Well, you do know I'm not fond of heights and besides, the line's really lo –", she fell silent, squinting her eyes as she noticed someone familiar farther in the front. Purple hair and a blue rabbit in her hands. "Hey, isn't this Edna over there?"  
"What?", her pale-skinned boyfriend asked in disbelief, nonetheless following her eyes. His jaw dropped when he saw the familiar purple hair too. "I think it's really her!"

* * *

Neither Edna nor the Key Master or even Harvey was aware of two of her friends seeing her from a certain distance. They would be able to get into a gondola any minute, thus none of them observed their surroundings. There were only two pairs of people in front of them, then it was their turn. The first ones were two adolescents, who gave off the impression that they started a relationship only recently, and the second pair was a mother and her child. Soon, it was Edna and the Key Master's turn to get on the Ferris wheel. They said no words as they got higher up and enjoyed the view of the town from so high above. The young woman kept glancing at the man next to her, once again contemplating whether or not she should tell him her feelings. Then she wondered if she would ever be able to just outright admit it to him instead of hesitating.  
"It's beautiful up here", she said to forget about her perpetual internal struggle and to start a conversation.  
"It is indeed", the Key Master agreed, viewing the town and the people down below, who were as tiny as colorful ants. He then turned his head to look at Edna. "But I'm surprised you like merry-go-rounds. I always expected you being more of a rollercoaster fan."  
"Who said I wasn't one?", the purple haired woman smirked. "It's just that I have fond memories of merry-go-rounds."  
"Oh? And what would that be?"  
The smirk on Edna's face changed into a more serious expression, which gradually took on a fond smile as she told him about her and Mattis going to the funfair and him being happy for the first time since Vivian's murder.  
"But I think the memory has a more poignant meaning to me now that I know why it meant so much to me that Mattis was happy", Edna concluded with a faraway look on her face. She moved her head to look at the Key Master, giving him a grateful smile. "Thank you for staying with me last night."  
"No need to thank me", he replied, taking her Harvey-less hand into his own. The blue rag doll lagomorph pretended to throw up, though neither of them paid him any heed. Edna turned her attention back to the scenery, noting for the first time it was a pretty little town. While she could hardly imagine ever living here for the rest of her life, she could nonetheless imagine coming here for a visit if she ever needed peace and tranquility. However, she did not know where her life would lead her, so for all she knew, she could be too far away from this place. But whatever happened, she knew she would be grateful for the friends she made and their help when she was new in this town. Before them, she was usually alone or had only one friend, apart from Harvey; now she had a circle of friends, and one friend who she would not mind if there was something more between them – she shyly eyed the Key Master before gazing back at the scenery. Edna set her ocular organs to the endless horizon, imagining what adventures could await her, what friends she could make there and if she would ever be rid of Doctor Marcel and his minions. If it were not for his obsession with her, she would surely be anywhere in the world and would have never been stuck in his stinky asylum. But she might also never have met people like the Key Master or Lilli. The thought of Lilli reminded Edna for some reason of the small family with the missing daughter that was parked on the lot of the supermarket with their trailer. She could not explain why though. She tried to see if she could spot the supermarket from up here and indeed she did. However, when she observed the parking lot, she found it was lacking trailers. The only vehicles she could see were just normal cars everyone with a driver's license had.  
"Huh? That's strange", Edna muttered. The Key Master looked at her questioningly:  
"What is?"  
"Over there", Edna replied, pointing at the parking lot of the supermarket. "The trailer with the small family I told you about yesterday is gone." She turned her head to the Key Master: "Do you suppose they returned home?"  
"It could be a possibility", he answered thoughtfully. "Or they decided to look for their missing daughter on their own."  
"Perhaps you're right", the female humanoid in the gondola responded in a low voice, gazing at the parking lot. She felt him giving her hand a comforting squeeze, which caused her to look at the man next to her.  
"They will find her", the Key Master tried to cheer her up.  
"You're right, they will find her. No doubt about it", Edna responded, her frown turning upside down. She chuckled. "You know, you've been quite optimistic lately."  
"Really? I reckon it's from my hanging around with you so often", he retorted with a grin. The young woman was not sure whether she should take it as a compliment or be offended by his comment, so she opted to grin back. She pondered if this was just a way for him to say he enjoyed hanging around with her. But it would make sense, otherwise he would not voluntarily be with her and he would have told her to stop coming to see him a long time ago. Still, if she thought of how he acted towards her the day they met, so condescending, she would have expected he would tolerate her at most. Never would she have thought that they would develop such a friendship and she was sure he thought the same about this.  
Their trip on the Ferris wheel ended and they left the gondola to make space for the next pair. Edna and the Key Master walked past the line to another ride or perhaps to a stand, she did not know since she let him lead the way. But a weird feeling overcame her, like she was being watched. She stopped walking and observed her surrounding, finding it hard to actually single out a lone person in a sea of people. Still, she kept looking for a few more minutes while walking alongside the Key Master.  
"Why are you always looking behind us, Princess? You look like you're twitching", he inquired after she once again glimpsed behind. She swiveled around to face him and to answer his question:  
"Well, it's just... I can't shake off the feeling that someone's watching me or maybe even the both of us."  
"There are countless people here, like sand on a beach. Perhaps it's just your imagination", he tried to calm her.  
"I hope you're right...", Edna trailed off, once again glancing behind her. The Key Master still held her hand, not having let go since they were on the Ferris wheel. She felt his pressure on her hand once again heightening for a short moment, probably to take her mind off her feeling. Maybe he was right and it was all in her head. There was no point in getting insane over something that was probably only her imagination. She wanted to enjoy the day. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, startling her to the point of gasping and whirling around. Her increased heart rate took on its normal beating rate and the frightened face changed into a relieved smile.  
"Anika! Gregor!", Edna exclaimed in a weak voice before her expression changed into one of puzzlement. "Hang on, shouldn't you be with Amy on a plane on your way to the United States, Anika?"  
"Uh no, you're confusing the date", the dark skinned woman replied, a little too quickly. Edna was not sure if she should believe her. But then again, why would her friend lie to her? She had no reason to as far as she knew. Edna looked at Gregor to ask for confirmation but her request never left her mouth when she noticed him looking at her and the Key Master's intertwined fingers with interest – as did Anika. Edna let go of the Key Master's hand, suddenly feeling quite empty.  
"Nice to see you again", Anika greeted the green-skinned man. "How's your arm? Still any complaints?"  
"It's fine, no complaints", the Key Master, who stood quietly next to Edna the whole time, replied.  
"Amy, Sebastian and Bianca are here too", Gregor told them. "How about you all join us?"  
The Key Master looked questioningly at Edna, who smiled and nodded. Her two friends gave them toothy grins, which the pair reciprocated. But as Edna looked around to spot the others, she found no trace of them.  
"Huh, where are they?", she questioned.  
"Somewhere around, we went separate ways shortly after arriving here", Anika explained. "But I'm sure we can find them."  
"Yeah, we can easily find three people among a million", Harvey sarcastically commented. Edna had to admit that the blue rabbit was right. It would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Or straw in a stack of needles.  
"How about we go look for them now? Maybe they're on the rides or playing games", was what she said aloud instead. The four walked together, looking left and right for Amy, Sebastian and Bianca, although Edna had to describe their appearance to the Key Master. Unfortunately, her description was not the best, so he asked her once or twice if a person was one of her friends when they resembled her description. However, Anika and Gregor were so busy mumbling with each other that they did not seem to notice his little mistake. Edna glanced at the two, wondering what they were whispering about. Were they speculating and theorizing about her and the Key Master, seeing that they did show interest when they still held hands? Edna opted not to think too much about this, Anika knew about her feelings for the Key Master and she would not say anything out loud unless she was completely sure.  
"Hey, isn't that there Amy?", Gregor pointed at a tall, slim woman, whose hair and skin were both black. Edna followed the direction and looked at the woman. To her, she did look like Amy but she was not a hundred percent sure since she did not know her as well as her other friends. However, she soon realized that Gregor was right when the woman turned around. The family resemblance to Anika was so uncanny that even a complete stranger would know they were sisters. Amy spotted the group of four, waved and ran over to them.  
"Hey guys", she greeted them all with a smile. "Hi Edna, long time no see. How've you been doin'?"  
"Oh not bad", Edna shrugged. "What about you?"  
"Apart from the asylum I hold therapy sessions at being run by a madman, quite well", Amy replied before turning her attention to the Key Master. She offered him a hand: "You must be a friend of Edna's. My name's Amy."  
"Pleasure to meet you", he replied and shook her hand. Edna noticed he did not introduce himself, something he also neglected to do when he first met Anika. Well, it would be kind of hard to tell a person their name if they could not remember it. She imagined how he would actually introduce himself –"Hello, I'm the Key Master. You can call me that because I can't remember my real name.". She could not decide whether it sounded more ridiculous in her head or when he would actually say it. Edna glanced at the sisters and the boyfriend of one of them, wondering if they would inquire his name. A part of her was curious to see how he would handle it but another thought it would be better to save him before something was going to happen. Amy did look like she was going to ask.  
"Where do you suppose Bianca and Sebastian are?", she asked Amy, who turned her attention back to Edna.  
"I last saw them in line for the rollercoaster. Dunno if they're still there", she replied. Before anyone else could say something, Edna quickly suggested to look for them and led them to the rollercoaster, which she could see in the distance. She was aware of Amy giving her strange looks and thus, she hoped with every fiber of her being that the therapist would not say anything. But navigating through the sea of people without bumping into anyone proved to be a challenge Edna was grateful for since it seemed like it provided a big enough distraction for Amy to forget about the Key Master's name. He picked up his pace, so that he walked next to Edna.  
"What is this about?", he questioned in a whisper.  
"I prevent them from asking for your name", she whispered back. "Or do you want an awkward moment where you admit you don't know after they asked for it?"  
"Hm, you got a point there but this can't go on like this forever", he responded. "We would need to think of a name for me or we hope I'll remember my name soon."  
"I hope it's the latter; I would like to call you by your actual name", Edna admitted. Her crush and companion was about to give a response when a large man bumped into her, causing her to loose her balance and nearly falling on the ground if the Key Master had not caught her.  
"You alright?", he asked her, helping her standing upright again.  
"Yeah, thanks", she replied. "Just a little startled."  
"That guy should have been more careful", there was a bit of anger in the Key Master's voice as he glared in the direction the large man went to. Edna calmed him down by taking his hands.  
"Hey, no need to get all ruffled about it. He's not worth it", she said in a calm voice. The Key Master inhaled and exhaled deeply and led the way, only for Edna to take the lead. But their search still proved to be fruitless. Maybe Sebastian and Bianca still waited in line for the rollercoaster and, considering how long the line was, it could take a while. No matter how much Edna would be hoping for this, there was no way Sebastian and Bianca would be done with the ride. If the line had already been long when she and the Key Master had arrived, it was most likely still the case. Nevertheless, they went there just to be sure. Well, when they arrived there, Edna could not see her two friends anywhere in the line. There were several reasons why, maybe they were still there and Edna just did not see them or they were already on the rollercoaster or they had left the line or they had been abducted by aliens. But she quickly dismissed the idea. If aliens had really abducted her friends, there would be a mass panic... unless everyone's memories had been wiped, then they would all go their merry way.  
"See your friends anywhere?", the Key Master asked her after a few minutes of looking for the two. Edna sighed and shook her head.  
"Perhaps we should just enjoy ourselves instead of spending all day long looking for them", the Key Master suggested. "Surely we come across them sooner or later."  
"I guess you're right", Edna agreed. The two went on to either another line that was shorter or to the games. But most of the rides where they would not have to wait for hours were for little children. While the merry-go-round had been fun for Edna, she did not want to go on slow rides only. So, they went to play some games – or rather, she let the Key Master play some games while Edna took in their surroundings. She might have suggested that they played but she opted to just let him have all the fun. Maybe he could even win something or the game was rigged and impossible to win.  
"Congratulations, you've won one of these", the man operating the game gestured at the plushies of various fictional characters. The Key Master let Edna choose. She picked a Minion. The operator wordlessly handed her the yellow funny-looking character and she took it in her arms.  
"Or do you want to carry it?", Edna asked the Key Master, who shook his head and told her she could keep since he did not even know what it was. She commented they had to remedy this when they were back in the apartment. Before he could reply, they were joined by Edna's friend, who told them they could not find Sebastian and Bianca. Edna told them the same and she was about to ask where they should go to when they heard a male voice calling:  
"There you are!"  
It was Sebastian in company with Bianca and they ran towards them, although their eyes were more directed to Amy than to anyone else.  
"Where have you been? We couldn't find you anywhere when we got off the rollercoaster", Bianca explained before spotting Edna and raising a hand in greeting: "Hi Edna."  
The purple haired woman wordlessly raised her hand too while Amy told the two newcomers she was just walking around when she met up with her sister and her boyfriend as well as Edna and her friend. Meanwhile, Edna told the Key Master who these two were, even though she was quite sure he figured it out by himself, which he was quick to point out but that he was also not entirely sure of their names until she just mentioned them.  
"Funny, only Tina and Amy's boyfriend and the group would be complete – OW!", Sebastian commented and Bianca stomped on his foot, something that was easily noticeable for everyone else present. Edna found it strange that Bianca did this when all Sebastian did was to mention her housemate of who they all knew she was visiting her parents.  
"Hey, how about we go to one of the food stands and get something edible? I'm getting kinda hungry now", Gregor suggested a minute later.  
"Good idea, I'm feeling a little hungry", Edna agreed, something Sebastian and Amy did too. Only Anika, Bianca and the Key Master mentioned they were not particularly hungry yet but nevertheless agreed to go to a food stand before the hungry ones starved to death. One was nearby, from which Gregor and Sebastian bought a hot dog each, Edna got currywurst and French fries, and Amy got bratwurst and a bun. They all also bought Cola and Sprite and, in Amy's case, water. They gathered around one of the two round tables that were in front of the stand, with the Key Master next to them while Anika and Bianca wandered around.  
"Don't you think you should be a gentleman and go along with the girls?", Sebastian questioned before taking a bite out of his hot dog. Edna glared at him indignantly, though the Key Master did not seem to be bothered.  
"I'm certain these two can take care of themselves and besides, I'm hardly a gentleman", he retorted, raising an eyebrow. The youngest male in the group looked like he was about to say something else but was calmed by a look from Gregor. Sebastian dropped the issue and silently ate his hot dog, drinking from his Cola now and then.

Edna and the Key Master said good bye to her friends in the evening when she and him wanted to return to her apartment. Amy, Anika and the others also left the funfair, though Edna had no idea where they would be going, although she figured it was the home of either Anika and Gregor, Sebastian or Bianca. But she thought about this only for a moment as her mind was more occupied by her contemplating what she and the Key Master should eat for dinner. Thus, the first thing she did upon entering her apartment was to head for the kitchen and see what edible stuff was available.  
"Found anything, Princess?", the Key Master asked, leaning against the doorframe.  
"Yup", she responded while taking out burger buns, meat, ketchup, tomatoes, cucumbers, and salad, all of which she placed on the kitchen counter.  
"How does burger sound?"  
"I think it sounds good", the green-skinned man replied. "And how about I put a movie in the player?"  
"Sure, be my guest", the purple haired woman said while starting to make dinner.  
Less than half an hour later, Edna and the Key Master sat in the couch eating burgers and watching _Despicable Me_.  
The sun slowly lay down for sleep; it only peeked over the horizon to wish diurnal life forms a good night by the time the movie was over. It was the time for teenagers and young adults to go out to party but this was the last thing on Edna's mind. She usually preferred partying at Bianca's place where she would usually not meet anyone she would rather avoid and where music they actually liked listening to was played. But it was unlikely another party would be happening any time soon since the date of Bianca accompanying Sebastian and his family to France was drawing nearer. Neither Edna nor the Key Master felt drowsy, so they opted to continue with their drawings from the previous evening.

The sun was long gone, leaving behind the darkness of the night. If Edna would go outside, she would see a moonlit starry night sky. This actually gave her an idea to relax and enjoy the pleasantly warm night. She put her pencil down as she stared off to distance and she contemplated whether or not she should really go outside. Yes, the idea had some merit; she made up her mind. Smirking to herself, Edna closed her sketch-pad and brought this and her pencil and eraser back to their place in her room. Then she returned to the living room, where the Key Master was still drawing, and took Harvey in her arms.  
"I think I will take a late night stroll with Harv. Wanna come along?", she invited her green-skinned friend. Harvey looked at her with a mix of shock and anger.  
"Why are you inviting him along? Why can't it just be the two of us?", he inquired in a loud voice.  
"Well, someone has to protect you in case a drunk idiot is making a pass on you", the Key Master responded with a shrug. "Or even worse."  
Edna had a vague idea what he was talking about and she honestly did not want any of those kinds of encounters. It was not like she had something against alcohol, she just preferred if people were still aware of their surroundings and could speak without slurring. Those who have had a drop too much were only a danger to themselves and their environment.  
"So, you're my knight in shining armor then?", Edna commented with a smirk. "Well, if I'm a princess, according to you, and you just tag along to protect me, that would make you my knight in shining armor", she added at the Key Master's quizzical face.  
"Well, if you think that, though I can't imagine myself as one", he commented.  
"Just like how I can't see myself as a princess?", Edna smirked. "Well, now you know how I feel."  
"You're still a princess to me, Princess", the Key Master commented and headed for the hallway, looking over his shoulder and adding: "Do you want to take a stroll now, or do you not?"  
Knowing she would probably never completely understand him, she shrugged and followed him. He had already slipped a jacket on and right now, he was in the middle of tying his shoes. Edna put her shoes on too, but left out a jacket. It was a warm night; she doubted she would need one. However, she remembered taking her keys – the last thing they wanted was to lock themselves out – and the two humans and the rag doll rabbit left the apartment together.  
The streetlights spent late night strollers, such as Edna and the Key Master, at least a little bit of illumination. The danger of running against something was therefore lessened, unless one was drunk beyond help. Fortunately, they did not come across this kind of person or any other for that matter. Nobody either wanted to go out or these two just happened to be in the wrong part of town in case of late night strollers. Edna reckoned it was the latter. But she was not really in the mood to party; she had time for it later. Her and the Key Master's path led them out of town and through the forest, along the same path they traveled when they were on the way to and from the Key Master's hideout. Edna wanted to enjoy nature in its nocturnal glory without fear of some creep or drunken guys suddenly appearing. She wanted something to calm her for her to sleep well later.  
The large field and the hill lay still in the warm summer night with the house and the well as the only manmade construction. The grass moved gently in the summer breeze, illuminated by the full moon's silver light. Edna took one look at the beautiful scenery in front of her before she broke into a run, much to the Key Master's surprise. She ran across the field, past the house and up the hill, all the while laughing cheerfully. For a moment, she forgot all about her worries. For a moment, she was just a young girl enjoying life and she wanted to keep this illusion, even if it was only for a short time. She reached the top of the hill and let herself fall on her derrière. The Key Master was by her and Harvey's side not long afterwards.  
"What was that about?", he questioned, sitting down next to her.  
"Oh, I needed the exercise", she responded with a grin. She saw him looking at her strangely before he smiled to himself and he shook his head good-naturedly. Edna turned her attention to the sky and its countless stars twinkling above. So many stars and yet, it was nothing compared to what was out there in outer space. Who knew what was out there, far beyond their own star system? Were there really intelligent life forms out there? Edna believed in it. After all, the universe is vast and endless, so why should they be the only life forms in existence? She believed in other life forms, they just had not been discovered yet. And if one thought about it, only a microscopic tiny part of outer space had been researched so far. Besides, other life forms might not want to initiate first contact with humans yet, not as long as they were probably deemed as too primitive.  
"Do you think there's something out there?", Edna asked, still admiring the stars. The Key Master, who was doing the same, turned towards her:  
"Like what? Aliens and other extraterrestrial stuff?"  
"Yes", she confirmed with a nod.  
"Well, I can't say for sure if I really believe in aliens but I think their existence is more likely than an honest politician", he responded slowly as though he was still thinking about his answer while talking. Edna had to chuckle a little at his response. So true, so true.  
"Let's be honest, everything is more likely than a politician who actually tells the truth, even when someone tells you the Mount Everest is made of chocolate", she commented before indicating at the stars, "or that the stars are just dead fireflies."  
"You got that one from an animated film, though I can't remember if the fireflies were dead too", the Key Master smirked. Edna smirked back and lightly punched his shoulder. When she put her hand back down again, she touched the Key Master's hand. Neither moved their hands away, it did not bother them... or they did not notice. Edna, for her part, gazed back at the stars and connected them with imaginary lines to new signs. One of them even resembled a rabbit; she called it 'Harvey'. Others looked like other animals, like an octopus or a cat with wings. It was fun to make up these imaginary star signs, so much that Edna actually chortled.  
"Something amusing?", the Key Master inquired.  
"Yep, take a look at those stars", she pointed at a couple of those, "if you use your imagination, they look a pig dancing on its hind legs wearing a Carmen Miranda hat."  
She turned her attention to the man next to her, who once again stared at her strangely. Nonetheless, he looked at the stars she was pointing at. Edna watched his face, which was currently in a frown. His eyes moved up and down, left and right as he tried to see the picture Edna imagined up there. She always considered him to be creative, so she was certain he would see the dancing pig too, sooner or later. Until then, she continued making up a couple of more signs.

* * *

The Key Master's frown deepened the longer he looked at the specific stars Edna had pointed at. Try as he might, he simply could not see a pig. Perhaps seeing pictures in stars was not something he was good at or he tried too hard. Sometimes, it helped if one relaxed and did not make themselves go crazy over it. All that would be accomplished would be nothing or very little. Thus, he lay down and relaxed, still looking at the general direction. Lo and behold, he slowly started to see a pig dancing on its hind legs and wearing a Carmen Miranda hat! No wonder why Edna laughed at it, it was funny looking.  
"Now I see it", he said with a chuckle, sitting up again. Edna grinned at him.  
"It's funny, isn't it? You should try seeing more images up there, it's a fun past time", she responded while rubbing her bare arms.  
"Feeling cold, Princess?", the Key Master raised an eyebrow.  
"A little but it's not so bad", she admitted. "I can survive it."  
However, the Key Master did not listen to her. Instead, he took off his jacket and put it around Edna's shoulders. She made a dumbfounded face at this before it changed into a grateful smile. He already started to feel the chilly night air of his naked skin but found he did not care. He felt that his friend's well being was more important than his own. This was something he had only started to feel and think when he got better friends with Edna. He had not cared for anyone but himself since he ended up in a solitary cell in Doctor Marcel's asylum. Edna moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. It still astounded the Key Master that she willingly sought out to being close to him, considering that she knew what he had done and therefore was capable of. But he also realized he had changed over the last two months. While the urge to murder other people was still there, it was not as pronounced as it was once. In fact, he managed to spend a whole day with Edna and her friends without wanting to kill them. Before that, he would indiscriminately murder other people when he got the urge. And yet, he knew he was not always like that. Something in his past must have caused him to snap and become the psycho he was. But he could simply not remember what. Were the memories suppressed? Or did Doctor Marcel erase them like he had done it with Edna's memories? After all, he could vaguely recall being escorted to the old man a couple of times during his imprisonment. He could never remember what this was about but he had a hunch that he went through the whole memory erasing procedure when that happened.  
"This is nice", Edna commented with a content sigh.  
"What is?", the Key Master questioned. "Sitting here and looking at stars millions of light years away from where we are?"  
"Exactly", Edna confirmed. "I always liked looking at the stars and wondering what could be out there. I guess this is why I liked _Star Trek_ since I was little. It was like a window to an eventual future, where humanity made first contacts with other life forms. I still hope we will come to contact with aliens some day."  
She had a blissful smile on her face as she pressed Harvey close to her heart. The Key Master watched her for a moment and then he looked at the starry night sky, too. He thought about what she had said, about her belief that there were other life forms far outside their galaxy. Perhaps there was some truth to it; it was too arrogant and ignorant to think that there was only intelligent life on planet Earth. Time passed as they gazed at the twinkling lights above until...  
"How about we go now? I'm starting to feel sleepy", he suggested. It was true; he was up since around seven in the morning when a couple of naughty noises from the neighbors woke him. He was amazed that Edna had not heard them and that people would actually get intimate this early in the morning. Hopefully, they would be quiet when the Key Master and Edna returned to the latter's apartment. He would like to get a good night's sleep. Speaking of which, the Key Master glanced at Edna while he pondered whether she wanted him to sleep with her again or if she could sleep alone.  
"Well alright", she relented. "But we should do it again some time."  
From what he could see, she seemed to be tired too. She had trouble keeping her ocular organs open. He would not put it past her to fall asleep while standing on her two feet. The Key Master stood up and helped her up too, holding her close as she was about to collapse.  
"How about we rest at my hideout?", he proposed. "You can barely stand, much less walk around."  
"Ah no, let's go back to the apartment", she declined but did not move. The Key Master picked her up in bridal style and carried her down the hill. Upon looking at her face, he saw that her eyes were closed and he noticed her chest slowly moving up and down as she slowly breathed. She held Harvey on her stomach with the rabbit's head dangling down from her side. The Key Master was careful not to drop either her or her toy as he walked to his hideout and opened the door with his elbow. He gently put her down on his bed. She immediately turned to her side and drew her legs up to her chest so that her rag doll rabbit was wedged between her chest and legs. He took one of the chairs and placed it right next to his bed. He watched her sleep for a moment before she suddenly opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings.  
"Uh, why are we here?", she questioned while sitting up.  
"You dozed off on the hill, so I thought it would be better to stay here for the night. I don't think we manage to get back to the apartment without you dozing off again", the green-skinned man explained. However, she shook her head and got up. Insisting she could walk, they made their way back to the town, though the Key Master made sure he could catch her should she fall asleep again.  
By the time they reached the town, they found young people out and about, strolling along the streets. Some adolescents in baggy clothes leaned against the exterior wall of a building, smoking and already drinking beer. The Key Master shook his head in disapproval at those kids. He had drunken alcoholic beverages in his youth too, but he knew at least where his limit lied... and had perhaps stepped a toe out of line once or twice. He did not believe they would ever have a bright future for he had seen many adolescents like those over the years and most ended in unemployment or with low-paying jobs. And he also noticed that a lot of people their age, even adults too, use grammatically incorrect terms and words. Last time the Key Master checked, it was 'only' and not 'onliest'.  
"Is it just me or is today's youth more disrespectful than in the Nineties?", he asked Edna as they walked past those adolescents. Before she had the chance to reply, they catcalled and wolf whistled:  
"Hey, poppet! Ditch that oldie there and get on with a real man!"  
Edna groaned and rolled her eyes just as another one called her 'cutie pie'. She and the Key Master picked up their pace to get as much space between them and those youths.  
"Do I really look that young?", Edna asked, a light note of desperation in her voice.  
"Well, if I didn't know your age, I would estimate your age anywhere between seventeen and twenty-five", the Key Master responded in a calm voice. He saw her making a funny face.  
"I don't know whether to be offended or feel complimented", she remarked. "But to answer your previous question, it's because parents don't really raise their kids anymore. Younger kids are even worse. Nowadays, most parents leave education up to television, video games and teachers. And if something's wrong with their offspring, it's the fault of those three but not their own. I guess I can appreciate that Mattis tried to actually raise me, even if his methods weren't the best."  
"At least he tried and I don't think you turned out bad. You may not be a model citizen but you're not as annoying as those teens back there", the Key Master commented.  
"I take that as a compliment", Edna retorted, beaming at him. He reciprocated her radiant smile with a small one of his own. In a way, he meant it as a compliment but he did not say it aloud. They kept strolling up the street until they reached the apartment complex Edna lived in. She took out her keys and unlocked the door, stepping aside to let him enter the building first. They took the elevator upstairs and five minutes later, Harvey lay on the bed in Edna's room and she was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and changing into her pajamas. After she left the bathroom, the Key Master entered it and she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water.  
"Do you want me to stay with you again tonight?", the Key Master asked after both he and Edna were ready for bed and she drank her beverage. However, she shook her head.  
"No, I think I'll be able to sleep alone tonight", she declined. "But thanks for the offer."  
The friends bade each other food night while the female went to her room where she read a couple of diary entries written by Mattis before going to sleep.

She was once again back in her childhood home and the date was once again summer of 1995 – the fateful night to be more precise. However when she witnessed the murder and everything else that happened that night, she had seen this from first person view as her still four year old self last night. But this time, she watched it all as a spectator from third person view. Apart from this, her dream was exactly the same it was the previous night until the part her miniature self ran away to hide. Adult Edna stayed in the kitchen, watching Edmund The Slasher hacking and slashing at Vivian. She winced at every hit asking herself over and over again what her mother did to suffer like this.  
By the time Edmund The Slasher was done, there seemed no millimeter of Vivian's skin devoid of wounds and blood. The sight alone was bad enough but what really made it worse was how her murderer traced his dirty fingers through her blood and licked them off, satisfyingly smacking his lips. Edna, who felt sickened by this sight, just thought he was the kind of person who deserved death penalty when he suddenly turned towards her, his mad eyes gleaming down at her and he had the most terrifying smile on his face she had ever seen. She wanted to run away but found herself unable to while he scuffed towards her. He raised his bloody knife and pierced her heart. Her screams of pain went on even as she woke up.

Edna breathed heavily and unevenly as she surveyed her dark room for any signs of Edmund The Slasher. She placed a hand above her thumping heart under her top, both to calm it and to feel for any kind of wound. Feeling not wound there, eased up only to jump when her door burst open. A second later, the Key Master was by her side.  
"What happened? Why did you scream?", he inquired frantically and worriedly. Edna stared at him through the darkness before suddenly gripping the front of his shirt firmly and burying her head in his chest. He put his arms around her, not asking any more questions but staying with her for the rest of the night.  
A loud ringing woke Edna up. Not bothering to open her eyes, she stretched her arm out towards the bedside table and tried to find her alarm clock. She found it weird that it kept ringing since she could not remember setting it the previous night. Besides, it sounded a bit different... And was there not someone missing in her bed?  
"Princess, telephone's ringing!", she heard the missing person call from somewhere outside her room. Edna opened her eyes at last, thinking to herself that the Key Master's call would explain some things. Yawning loudly, she sat and got up and left her room to answer the telephone in the living room.  
"'lo?", she said in a sleepy voice, the first half of her word of greeting being lost in her tiredness.  
"Good morning Edna", a voice on the other end of the line, which she recognized as Tina's mother, replied. "Is Tina there with you?"  
This question woke Edna completely up. She found it strange that Tina's mother would ask her that when her daughter was supposed to be with her family. Unless something happened...  
"Uh no, Missus Kemmer. But shouldn't she be there with you?", Edna responded, frowning in worry.  
"Well, she was supposed to but she still isn't here, and we can't reach her on the phone", Missus Kemmer explained worriedly. Edna could not blame her, she felt fear and worry regarding her friend's fate too. Just where could she be? And what happened to her? The young purple haired woman hoped nothing indescribably horrible happened to Tina. Therefore she made a promise to her mother:  
"I'll try to find out what happened to Tina and I'll let you know."  
"Oh thank you, Edna. Well, I don't want to disturb you any longer. Good bye", Tina's mother said and hung up, giving Edna barely time to mumble words of departure. The moment the receiver was back in its place, she went to the door that led to her housemate's room. In hopes of finding something that would give her a clue about Tina's whereabouts, she entered the room. Edna was not quite sure what she expected – mayhap hints of a struggle or a handwritten note – but she hardly expected seeing Tina's luggage sitting wide open on her bed with her bag for hygienic products lying next to it. The cell phone lay on the drawers. It looked like Tina was in the middle of packing the rest of her stuff when she was forced to leave. The question was what exactly happened. As far as Edna could tell, it must have occurred while she was out because her housemate was still there before she left but absent when she was back. At that time, Edna had thought that Tina had already left to visit her parents but now she knew it could not be. She suspected that it was a kidnapping, though she could not explain why anyone would kidnap Tina. She had no important information, valuable goods and she was not rich. If anything, Tina was a kind and likeable middle class woman who had never done anything to become a target of kidnapping.  
"Wherever you are, I hope you're safe", Edna mumbled under her breath, looking around the room she promised never to enter unless she had her housemate's permission.  
"Princess?"  
Edna turned around and saw the Key Master standing in the doorway. His face showed concern for her.  
"Is something wrong?", he asked as he stepped closer.  
"I just got a call from Tina's mother; she never arrived in her childhood home. I have a feeling that somebody kidnapped her...", Edna explained, trailing off when she tried to think of anyone who would profit from holding Tina hostage. She had no enemies, as far as Edna knew there was no ancient prophecy that described a girl like Tina and she was not the reincarnation of a religious icon – Edna was pretty sure those would only be reborn as religious people.  
"But if she was, then there should be a ransom note somewhere. I can't see one anywhere, however", she continued speaking. Her eyes widened in realization a moment later. "Unless it's in the mailbox... I haven't check for any mails since Tina was supposed to leave for her visit to her parents."  
She sprinted past the Key Master, who grabbed her wrist.  
"What now? Can't you see I wanna check the mail? Tina's fate could hang on it", she complained to him, clearly annoyed.  
"Well, I don't wanna stop you from doing this. But don't you think you should wear something more suitable?", the Key Master suggested.  
"Since when do people have to wear a specific outf–", she stopped talking and looked down at herself when he pointed at what she was wearing. Edna gave a sheepish chuckle when she realized she was still clad in a sleeping shirt and boxers. "I go get changed, and then I will check the mail."  
Edna left her housemate's room and went to her own room, where she rummaged her closet in search for something that belonged to her mother. She wanted to feel close to her and she thought wearing something that was hers would be the best way to go about this. Soon, she found a lavender dress, not at all like the red one Vivian wore when she died. With the dress and her underwear in her arms, Edna headed for the bathroom, where she got ready for the day.  
"Much better", the Key Master commented when Edna emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later.  
"Now I go to check the mail", Edna replied while throwing the clothes she wore in bed into her room. "See ya in a bit."  
She grabbed her keys and left the apartment, going down the hallway to the elevator. There was already one of her neighbors inside, one who lived a floor above her. The neighbor, a middle aged woman, greeted her with a "good morning", which Edna reciprocated. Aside from the little exchange of words of greeting, their ride downstairs with the elevator was silent. Edna did not know her well, having rarely spoken with her; she only knew that she was a single mother of three children and that she divorced her husband two years ago. Other than that, she knew nothing about her. The elevator stopped on the ground floor and both left it. Edna only went as far as the mailboxes while her neighbor left the building. Edna opened her and Tina's mailbox, finding countless junk mails and, on top of them all, a CD cover with either a CD or a DVD inside. Nothing else was in there, so she closed the mailbox and returned upstairs to her apartment.  
"I'm back", she announced a few minutes later, throwing the junk mail in a waste basket as she walked past it. The Key Master sat at the dinner table, eating scrambled eggs and drinking coffee. A second plate was set in front of an empty chair, probably for Edna.  
"Did you find anything?", he asked while she took a seat and began eating too. She nodded and held the CD or DVD up in the air with her free hand.  
"I think this will explain some things, just gotta watch it", Edna said after swallowing her bite. She continued eating while the Key Master, who already finished breakfast, put the small circular object into the movie player. Both human beings of the living room stared expectantly at the television screen, wondering what they might see when Doctor Marcel's ugly face came up.  
"Yuck! Not something I'd want to see when I'm eating!", Edna exclaimed with as much disgust in her voice as she could muster and that was an incredible amount. The Key Master hushed her since Doctor Marcel commenced speaking in the video:  
"Ah Edna, I'm sure you've been wondering about your friend's abse–", Doctor Marcel began, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice:  
"That's not a great intro for a ransom note, she knows I wanted to go visit my parents the day your minions kidnapped me."  
The doctor made an annoyed face before turning around to the speaker, who was unseen somewhere in the background.  
"I do the talking here!", he said in tranquil fury. He turned back to the camera and resumed his message:  
"As I was saying, you're probably wondering about your friend's absence when you hear she never arrived at her parents' house. Well, I've got two surprises for you."  
He rolled away to reveal two blondes on the floor of the cell behind him. Edna immediately recognized the older and chubbier one as Tina but the other one...  
"Hey, wait a second! That little girl there!", Edna exclaimed as her fork fell with a loud clank on the plate.  
"What about her?", the Key Master, who had given a start at the clank, questioned.  
"T-that's my friend Lilli! We were roommates and friends in the convent school", Edna explained. "But we haven't seen each other for years. Not since that day..."  
The old man reappeared on screen, an evil smirk having taken over his features:  
"If you want me to let your dear friends go, you have to return to the asylum and go through a correction of character. Or are you selfish and leave them stuck in here while you roam around freely like a bird?"  
At this point, Edna expected an evil, maniacal laugh so much that she was surprised when none came. The video ended after that, leaving her to stare at the now empty screen. So, Doctor Marcel still wanted to change her personality. Somehow, it did not come as a surprise for her; he had been trying to do this for ten years of her life. It seemed unlikely he would ever give up. Still, there were some things worrying her. How did Doctor Marcel know about Tina? And how did he know where to send the DVD to? Edna did not believe her friend revealed her address to him; she would have said either nothing or given a false address. But whatever, Edna knew what she had to do. She knew it would be dangerous and risky but it would be worth it. There was no way she become a prisoner of the asylum again but she also did not want to leave her two friends behind. This was why she took a third option.  
"I have to save them", she said in a strong, determined voice.  
"What!?", the Key Master exclaimed in both shock and disbelief. "Are you really going to do what that... that man demands!?"  
"I never said I was going to have my personality rewritten", Edna pointed out. She saw comprehension dawning on the Key Master's face. He knew what she was planning, what her intentions were. "But I think I would need your help. It'll be too difficult for me to do this alone."  
"You can count on me", he consented. He turned the movie player and television set off after taking the DVD out. He walked back to the dinner table, sitting down on the chair he sat on earlier. "Are you going to ask your other friends to help you out?"  
Edna did not answer his question immediately. Instead she thought about this while eating the rest of her – already cold – scrambled eggs. Would it be a good idea to let her other friends come along too? Or would she just lead them to danger? None of them, except for Amy, knew anything about the asylum and would probably not even know how to handle the guards. And, if Edna was honest with herself, she could not bring herself to drag any more of her friends into this.  
"No", she replied, shaking her head. "They've got nothing to do with Doctor Marcel and I don't want to force them into something that could be hazardous for them."  
"Even though it's your common friend who is being held captive?", the Key Master inquired.  
"Because I don't wanna drag more of my friends into this whole mess! Tina was dragged into this because Doctor Marcel is one sick, twisted man! Lilli was in this since Mother Superior called him to the convent school! You're in this because you've been in a solitary cell in his asylum for over a decade! And I've been in this for my whole life! I don't want anyone else I care about to be dragged into this whole ordeal!", Edna ranted, rising to her feet and her voice becoming increasingly louder. She breathed heavily and let herself fall back onto her chair. She put her arms on the table and supported her head with her hands. Why did Doctor Marcel have to move into the house next to her parents' humble abode? Why did he have to enter their lives? Of all the people who had to move into the neighboring house, why did it have to be a guy who was the head of an asylum? And even if it had to be the head of a mental institution, why not a kind and caring person instead off this insane man? Too many questions and no answers for any of them.  
She felt a hand on her shoulder and when she glanced to her side, she saw the Key Master giving her a comforting smile. Edna reciprocated with a small smile of her own, putting one of her hands on his. For a moment, she found herself wishing he would embrace her but she was also quite content with this little gesture.  
"We can save your two friends, no matter if it's just the two of us or an army", the Key Master assured her. The corners of Edna's mouth moved farther upwards.  
"Thanks", she said, taking his hand off her shoulder but not letting it go. She rose to her feet and walked closer to the Key Master. "Come on; let's think up of a plan."  
She took his other hand and helped him up to his feet. She led him to her room, where she noticed Harvey smiling at her and glaring at the Key Master in greeting. Something told her the lagomorph would never like the Key Master or that it would be really hard. But she opted not to dwell onto this for too long, it was more important to conduct a plan to save Tina and Lilli.  
"What exactly are you doing?", the Key Master questioned while Edna turned her laptop on.  
"One moment...", Edna replied. Once her laptop was booted up, she double-clicked on the icon of a graphic program. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her green-skinned friend supporting his arms on the table.  
"Are we going to come up with a plan or are you going to draw a picture?", he asked, somewhat annoyed. Edna turned her head to see his less than pleased face.  
"We are conducting a plan but I think it would be a good idea to draw a rough layout of the asylum and its premises", Edna explained. "Gregor – Anika's boyfriend – taught me how to use this program."  
"Didn't think you would want to be this prepared", the Key Master commented while she used the line tool to draw up a large square.  
"Me neither", Harvey chimed in, even if only Edna could hear him.  
"Well, this time we're breaking in to break two people out, one of who was never there before and the other who most likely saw only little of this place", she said, her eyes flickering from the Key Master to Harvey and back again. "I don't want any of us to end up being stuck in a cell again, that's why I'm drawing up a layout."  
Edna realized while she was still talking how much of an influence her friends had on her over the years. It was usually Bianca who advised her to take care of important details in her plans, no matter how small. A few years ago, Edna would have never thought about the details of her plan, much less draw a map. She would just think of the main stages and execute them with Harvey as she saw it fit. Sometimes it worked, other times it did not. However, her friends and her maturing had changed her. She could not be so reckless anymore; well, at least not as often.  
She did not need long to finish a rough layout of the asylum and its premises. Fortunately, she could still remember every room she came across and its location, even if she wished it was not the case. Although she had to admit that it proved to be quite helpful in this case.  
"Hm, first we have to get onto the propriety and inside the building. But the question is how? I know Lilli somehow managed to get inside but I don't know how she did that...", Edna mumbled. She racked her brain for any ideas on how to get over the wall, ranging from simply climbing over it to tearing it down. However, she knew it would not work; the barb wire would prevent them from getting over the wall and destroying it would alert everyone to their presence.  
"I know there's a backdoor, though it was rarely used to get on the propriety", the Key Master told her. "I walked around the premises after we met in the garage but before you sent Hoti and Moti, and the Aluman over", he added at Edna's surprised look. "I found it hidden behind an overgrown bush."  
"Well, I guess the door can help us getting onto the propriety but if it's locked, we're not any closer to getting inside the asylum", Edna pointed out.  
"Don't you still have the master key?"  
"No, I had to melt it again to create a copy of the front door key to my house. The original one got broken when I tried to use it..."  
"And I assume you couldn't find another way inside your house?"  
"Oh yes, I could, through the basement. But the front door key is also the key to my room and that one was locked with no alternative way to get in."  
"I see...", the Key Master mumbled. Edna watched how he straightened himself and glanced around the room, probably trying to come up with an alternative plan.  
"Hm, do you happen to own hairpins or something similar?", he asked a second later, looking questioningly at her. Edna opened her mouth, about to deny it, when she recalled a small, forgotten box of hairpins in her drawers.  
"Actually yes, one moment please", she replied and got up, walking over her drawers. She could not remember where exactly she had stored the box, having never needed the pins. The only reason she owned them was that Tina had given them to her on her birthday along with the newest CD from _God Sucks, Inc._ However, Edna had never used them, which was why she found them in the lowest drawer, hidden among other jewelries she got but never wore. She did not see the point of wearing them; she was not interested in looking attractive for the opposite sex, at least until now. Edna took the box of hairpins and returned to her desk.  
"Would these suffice?", she questioned. The Key Master briefly examined them before he gave Edna a funny look:  
"Yes, they will. And now I'm trying to imagine you with a pinned-up hairstyle..."  
"Well, that's what you get if your housemate's into fashion shows", Edna commented with a fond smile. It once annoyed her that Tina would buy her accessories or other stuff just so she would wear more fashionable outfits but she soon realized that her housemate never forced her into wearing them and that she meant it well. Thus, Edna started to see it in a different way – as a chance to dress herself up should she ever need to. Besides, it was not like Tina continually bought her dresses, shoes or accessories; only when she found something of which she thought Edna would like it.  
"Really? Wouldn't have thought that... But what's that they say? Never judge a book by its cover", the Key Master commented. "Anyway, let's get back to the plan."  
"Right", Edna agreed. "Well, we don't know whether Tina and Lilli are with the other inmates or in solitary. So, when we're inside the building with the help of the hairpins, we both or at least one of us should check with the other patients."  
Their planning continued on and on. As far as Edna could tell, she and the Key Master covered about every tiny detail. If this was all worth it or if this was all for naught, she could not tell; but she hoped it was worth it.

The sketch of the asylum and its perimeters was covered in colorful lines, purple and green, and short notes for Edna and the Key Master to know what they were supposed to do. It was quite easy, actually; they were going to break on the premises and inside the building through the backdoor, Edna would go see the other patients to ask them if they knew anything while the Key Master checked the archives for anything. They would meet there and, depending on what they found out, they would either flee with Tina and Lilli – if they were with the other patients – or stay a little longer to cause some mayhem in an attempt to distract the guards. Edna hoped she would be able to steal the master key or create another copy of it; she did not feel confident in using the hairpins.  
"So, all we need to do is to save this file and print it... in Tina's room", the young woman said while doing the former. "Oh, we only got one printer and that one happens to be connected to Tina's computer", she added in explanation at the Key Master's confused face. She looked around for a USB flash drive, spotting one next to a CD cover. She plugged it into the laptop while simultaneously closing the graphic program. The file of their plan was copied onto the flash drive immediately after it was plugged in and was unplugged the moment the plan was on it.  
"Now, all that's left is to print it", Edna announced with a satisfied smile. "That way, we also have a map of the place." She noticed her companion staring at her. "What? I got lost a few times at first before I remembered which door led to which room."  
She got no verbal answer from the Key Master but he did shrug his shoulders when she looked away. They left this room to get into the other bedroom, where Edna turned the computer on. While she waited, she took a look around her friend's room, noting its brighter colors and thinking how it reflected Tina's life so far. She had a normal childhood with her family, including a brother, went to school like any normal person, graduated and found a job – all of which was quite the opposite of Edna's own life. At least she was aiming towards a proper graduation, even if this was not the conventional way. How many other adults in their twenties had adolescents as their classmates? But given her situation, it was decided it would be the best. Well, she had actually the decision between private lessons until graduation or going to a normal school with other people who were several years her junior. Remembering her and Alfred's private lessons with Mister Hornbush quite well, Edna had opted for the second option. She never let the age differences bother her; it made no sense for her to act like she was better than them because she was older nor that she should isolate herself for the same reason.  
"Uh Princess", the Key Master said, pulling her out of her reverie. Edna turned her attention to him and followed his eyes to the computer screen, noticing a password was needed. She clicked on the hint button, though the single word 'actor' was of much of a help. She pondered how this single word could help Tina should she ever forget her password. Fortunately, Edna managed to guess it after three attempts. The desktop appeared soon, showing a picture of Audrey Hepburn in her dress for the ascot scene in _My Fair Lady_. Edna plugged the flash drive in before also turning the printer on. Several minutes later, she held two sheets of the printed plan in her hands. She gave one to the Key Master and turned the electronic devices off.  
"Now that we got that behind us, how about we eat lunch?", she suggested, looking up at the Key Master. It was already afternoon and the scrambled seemed to be from weeks ago, not hours ago. Perhaps it would be a good idea to fill their stomachs with scrumptious food before they traveled to her old home village later and go on a daring rescue mission. It was more or less like the last meal preceding a person's execution but no one was supposed to die, not even Doctor Marcel and his minions. If anything, they should end up behind bars.  
"I wouldn't mind it", the Key Master replied. "Better than to stay in here and wait until we go to save your friends. How are you planning to get there, if I might ask?"  
"Public transportation?", the young woman replied with a sheepish grin and a shrug. She got up from the chair and left the room with her flash drive and the plan, being followed by her friend and guest. She put both sheets of paper on the dinner table before going to her room to put the flash drive on her desk while the Key Master went to the kitchen to find something to prepare for late lunch or early dinner. Edna joined him a minute later and soon, they decided to make spaghetti Bolognese, seeing everything needed was readily available in the refrigerator and cupboards.  
"Are you sure we'll be able to make it without wreaking any kind of havoc?", Edna questioned, having never made spaghetti Bolognese before. It was usually only her housemate who made this.  
"I'm sure we can do this, just like how I'm certain we will be able to save your friends from Doctor Marcel's clutches", the Key Master responded while starting to prepare lunch. Edna smirked.  
"Good enough for me. Just tell me what to do", she replied, soon receiving and following instructions.


	22. Back Home

Thanks for reviewing, Julayla. Just keep your fingers crossed and keep hoping.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

 **Back Home**

The weather outside the asylum was gorgeous and warm as well, though it hardly mattered for the inmates. There was no way anyone who did not work here could go outside and enjoy the sun. There was no point for the patients to marvel at the beautiful weather or complain about rain; all they could do was not to care about the meteorological conditions, unless a hurricane would pick up the building and carry it away to a mystical land. If Lilli thought about this, it would be better and more exciting than being stuck in here. She wandered around the recreation room, looking for something to do. She wondered how many had cabin fever and probably still have because she felt like she was about to get one.  
Lilli found the Beeman sitting once again in the arts and crafts room drawing a picture. Tina was in the same room too but she sat at the grated windows, longingly looking out to the beautiful nature, so close yet so far. She did this quite often, no matter what time of the day, when she was not playing with the others or eating or sleeping or taking care of her personal hygiene.  
"Hello Lilli", the Beeman greeted the young girl, looking up from his picture of a beach and the sea. "Are you here to express yourself creatively too?"  
"Uh yeah, sure", she replied, thinking to herself that she at least had something to do with herself. She took an empty sheet of paper and a pencil and took a seat opposite of the Beeman. At first, she glanced around for some inspiration, then she set the pen upon the paper and began to draw lines. Only the scratching sound of her pencil and the Beeman's crayons making contact with the sheet of paper, as well as Tina's occasional mournful sigh, prevented the room from being a silent as movie made before 1927. Slowly but surely, Lilli's drawing took on the form of a butterfly flying above a flower field. At the moment, she wished she was a butterfly – free and far away from this place. She had seen several drawings of winged animals either outside in nature or in a cage, as well as pictures of sad faces in a cages, so it was not unreasonable to assume that most of the other inmates had the same desire as her. Well, who would want to stay here?  
"Man, I'm about to get cabin fever", Tina huffed, finally removing herself from the window. She grabbed an empty sheet of paper and a pencil too, and sat down next to the Beeman. "I mean I wouldn't complain if it would be like the music number in _Muppet Treasure Island_. But instead, we can't get away unless we own one of the three coat hangers and even then, we're still stuck inside this goddamn building!"  
Neither Lilli nor the Beeman gave a reply but it did not seem like Tina was expecting one. Perhaps she only needed to verbally vent out her anger to calm down since she contented herself with drawing something. Once in a while, Lilli surreptitiously glanced at her picture, which consisted of a tower with a single window and a girl with incredibly long hair looking out of it. She knew the fairytale, having read it along other fairytales by the Brothers Grimm after her adoption, and if one character fitted in their situation quite well, it was this one. Hopefully, somebody would come to their rescue too; it did not even have to be a prince.  
"Do you think we'll ever get out of here?", the young girl questioned.  
"Dunno, but I hope so", Tina replied, looking up from her picture. "I need some fresh air, one big bowl of ice cream and Harry Belafonte music."  
"Who?", Lilli frowned in confusion. She had never heard of this guy before.  
"Calypso King", were Tina's quick words of explanation. It did not help Lilli one bit but it did not seem like Tina was very talkative at the moment. Perhaps the older girl was being considerate before she said something offending in her anger. Tina did seem calm but Lilli could see she was about to explode.  
"Don't worry, you'll get used to this place", the Beeman commented in a calming voice. He was met with a glare by Tina. Lilli rolled her eyes before rising to her feet and walking to the shelf to get the coloring pencils. She took a light blue color and began with the coloring of the sky, leaving only the fluffy clouds white. Once again, it was quite silent in the room, bar the scratching of the pencils. The Beeman was probably too afraid to say anything else unless he had the desire to be at the receiving end of Tina's glare. She, in turn, did not seem like she was in the mood for a conversation. Well, Lilli was not the one to force these two to have a conversation with her. Perhaps some silence would do them good... or a good game of _Hoth Motigor_. Tina, at least, enjoyed it very much as did Lilli, if she was honest with herself. But they could only play when King Adrian announced a new round took place and sometimes, it could happen several times a day or only once and even then, the length of the respective rounds varied. It all depended on the king's mood. All the other times, the players had to find something to busy themselves with, though Lilli had quickly noticed that no one liked working with clay. When she asked, she received an ominous sounding explanation from the Beeman.  
"Because each clump of clay is cursed to become a shapeless ashtray – the curse of occupational therapy", he had said, to which Tina mentioned she actually enjoyed working with clay, as long as she could make whatever she wanted. But they were lucky so far, no therapist had come to supervise them when they expressed themselves creatively. According to the other patients, one could not even sneeze without a therapist analyzing the way they sneezed. Apparently, Doctor Marcel preferably hired only therapists whose personalities were pretty much like his, though there were exceptions. Lilli could think of one exception, the young woman she met a few days ago. However, she seemed to be a little too friendly to the inmates, like they were her friends and not patients, and Lilli was pretty sure a therapist had to retain a professional relationship with their patients. But Petra did tell her that this woman did not hold her sessions very often in this asylum; most of the time, she was just here to visit her boyfriend, who worked here, as well as the patients. Well, if she was not busy with doing her work miles and miles away. Lilli just pondered to herself if this dark skinned woman had the same kind of relationship with those patients like in this institution or if this was more professional when the Beeman spoke up:  
"I could do with a cup of coffee right now..."  
"Why don't you get one from the coffee vending machine?", Tina asked, looking up from her pencil drawing. "Or is that thing broken?"  
"Well no, but I got no money on me", the man in the bee costume explained. He looked like he was about to say more but Tina did not listen. She dug in her pockets, mumbling that she thought she had some coins in there. With a loud "HA!", she withdrew her hand from her pocket, holding a one Euro coin in her hand.  
"Here for you", she gave it to the Beeman. He took the coin in his hand but did not move. She tilted her head. "What? Not enough?"  
"It is enough, I'm just surprised you'd so readily give me money", he replied, now getting up and leaving this room. Both girls, meanwhile, went back to their respective drawings to finish them. Lilli surreptitiously glanced at Tina's picture a few times and quickly realized she knew how to work with a pencil. The simple sketch had turned into a marvelous black and white pencil drawing of Rapunzel in her tower, though it was not quite done yet. Tina actually drew each blade of grass individually. Tedious but great love for detail; Lilli could not wait to see the finished product. The Beeman returned with a plastic cup full of steaming hot coffee and sat back on his chair. He drank his caffeine-containing beverage in one go. Then, Lilli and Tina could swear they heard those strings from _Psycho_ , the horrible and unspeakable happened. The Beeman made a disturbing face and something yellow started to come out of his large ears. More and more came out, which he all caught in the now empty cup until it was filled to the brim. It was like a car accident, no one was able to look away. Except Tina, whose head disappeared under the table. Lilli and the Beeman heard retching and the room smelled like puke a moment later.  
"What the hell was that?", she asked when she reappeared.  
"I'm sorry but this is an allergic reaction to hot beverages", the Beeman apologized. "It's really n –"  
"Don't you dare to say something food related!", Tina interrupted spitting.  
"Nnnnot pleasant", the man saved himself. Lilli stared at him, wondering why one would consume something they were allergic against. It made no sense to her.  
"Then why did you get coffee?", she questioned.  
"It just so happens that I like a nice hot cup of coffee a little too much", the bald man in a bee costume replied. Lilli decided not to comment on this. She could not think of anything; the smell of puke was just too distracting. Why could Tina not have run to the men's room, which was much closer than the ladies' room?  
"Let's leave the room, I can't stand the smell", the Beeman suggested and practically flew out of the room, followed by the two females.

* * *

Morning broke; the Key Master had once again slept with Edna in her bed in case she had another nightmare. Fortunately, she had none, so they could sleep through the night. At the moment, they sat at the dinner table in the living room, eating breakfast they just made and going over the plan again. Edna knew there was no way she would leave her friends behind. Who knew what might have happened to Edna if it had not been for Lilli and Tina? It was only thanks to the former that life in the convent school was bearable while the latter helped Edna getting acquainted with a world she had not been outside to since she was eight years old. Saving them from whatever Doctor Marcel was going to do with them was the least Edna could do. But she knew it would be difficult to do this alone, which was why the Key Master and Harvey willingly helped her.  
"I think we should struck at night", the Key Master suggested. "If Doctor Marcel still has no cameras for the property, except the single one at the watchtower, we might have better chances in getting in without being seen."  
"Maybe, if all the factors are working in our favor. But what about the inside of the building?", Edna retorted. "I mean, I didn't care about security cameras when I broke out but I'd rather if no one working there knew we're there." She turned to Harvey. "Can you remember which rooms had cams?"  
"No, I can't", he shook his head after thinking for a moment.  
"Me neither", she admitted, heaving a sigh.  
"And we don't even know if they added more cams throughout the asylum!", Harvey added in a hysteric cry, stretching his arms towards the ceiling.  
"Calm down, Harv, although you do have a good point there. He could have tightened security since the last time we were there."  
Edna was aware of the puzzled look she and her lagomorph received from the Key Master. No one could hear what Harvey had to say, except her since she watched her mother getting murdered. Mattis reckoned it was her way to come to terms with Vivian's death. Edna just started to ponder if she was ever diagnosed with something in regards to this when the Key Master spoke up:  
"Would you mind telling me what you two are talking about?"  
"We were discussing about the probability of Doctor Marcel having added more cameras in his asylum", Edna explained. "What do you think?"  
"Hm...", the Key Master looked at the maps of the asylum as if he was going through the plan in his mind again. Edna and Harvey looked at each other before setting their ocular organs on the green-skinned man again. Neither the young woman nor the blue rabbit knew what to make of the Key Master's hesitation from answering her question.  
"Well, a lot of rooms did not have any security cameras, like this one or that one", he eventually started to reply, indicating at the break room and the laundry room in the basement. "But five patients... and a rabbit –" He said it like an afterthought "– escaped the asylum in one night and who knows how many more have escaped since then, if any at all."  
"It would be much easier if we could turn invisible", Edna commented while glancing at the map in an attempt to recall where the security cameras were at the time of her escape. She remembered how she turned the lights in some rooms on and off in other room so that the letters "WC" were formed by the monitors in the surveillance room. This was how she finally got Bladder to rush to the men's room after her failed attempts of talking about water, although she was pretty sure she almost got him there just by speaking about it. It was just that she could not think of any more water related topics to converse about. But should she get the opportunity to send Bladder to the toilet again, she could also talk about _Finding Nemo_. Perhaps she should also try to think up other water related topics...  
"Well, if you have a way for us to turn invisible, I would like to hear it", the Key Master remarked. "If not, we have to be really careful, none of your decorative adornments. Hm, maybe when we're getting out. But not when it's immensely important that no one sees us."  
"Okay, okay. No redecorating, even then when the asylum needs one and we all know it's going to need one", Edna retorted and Harvey rolled his eyes.  
"If you care so much about it, you should become an interior designer", the green-skinned man commented. "Anyway, you go look for your friends in the dorms, I will see if I can find them in the solitary cells."  
"Or I redecorate when we're leaving. Oh, and let's not forget to check the archives", Edna reminded him, pointing at the aforementioned room. "Normally, I hate these things but browsing through other people's file is so delightfully prohibited."  
"Only other people's? Or would you think your own medical file would be interesting too?", the Key Master inquired, raising an eyebrow. "I can imagine yours would have a couple of interesting information too."  
Edna thought about it. There was some truth to it. Who knew how often Doctor Marcel had erased her memories and what else he had done? These things could have been written down in her medical file. Perhaps it was so much that there was a shelf just for her files. After all, Doctor Marcel did have ten years worth of time to do so much.  
"Do you think we could steal these files about me? And yours as well?", she carefully asked.  
"Mine too? Why would you think mine was interesting?", the Key Master asked, finishing up his breakfast.  
"Oh, I dunno", Edna faked stupidity. "Mayhap the reason you ended up in the asylum? And what so-called 'therapy' that old man has used on you? Or how about your real name?"  
"Well, if you think so", the Key Master shrugged. "I don't particularly care, except my name, but I guess it would nonetheless be good for me to be able to recall my past."  
"Exactly!", Edna agreed. "And even if you don't like the truth, it's better than to live in oblivion."  
She, too, finished her breakfast and brought the plates into the kitchen, putting them in the sink. She was, admittedly, a little nervous about what they were going to do. This was the first time she broke into the asylum. Usually, she attempted to break out, succeeding a few years ago at last. If it were not for the Key Master's plan, she would probably still be there, rotting in her cell. Well, there was still this guy who dug a tunnel to freedom. His name was Almo and Edna had her doubts his plan would succeed. Did he ever manage to get out? Or was he caught and the tunnel was filled with dirt and rubble? She genuinely wondered about this as well as of the fates of the other patients. They all helped her, more or less, in one way or another, so it was natural for her to be thinking about them. In her opinion, they should all be released.

* * *

Breakfast time was already over in the asylum as the patients could confirm. Those stuck in solitary cells only got bread and water, the others could at least choose between bread, croissants, rolls, eggs and spreads as well as their beverages. Not many choices but better than only bread and water. After their food intake, the inmates were brought to the recreation room, as always. Professor Nock found a documentary about dinosaurs on television and Lilli, Max and Maestro Frank joined him. Tina, Petra and the Beeman played a board game; King Adrian retired back into his cushion castle with Drogglejug vigilantly standing guard. In short, the day seemed to be like a usual day but seeing it was still early in the morning, one could not possibly know what might happen. Especially if one considered the plans of two small groups for later the same day, when it was already dark. But since none of the patients were aware of this, it was an ordinary warm day, which they rather wanted to spend outside. But since Doctor Marcel did not want them to get a possible chance to flee, so they were condemned to be stuck inside these four walls.  
"I won! I won!", Petra exclaimed happily to the point of ecstasy. Tina raised her eyebrows and then glanced at the Beeman:  
"Is she always on high sugar?"  
"Pretty much", he replied while the blond woman with pigtails kept on celebrating. Tina rolled her eyes and shook her head before she and the Beeman put the game back into the box. She brought the board game back to the shelf and took another one out. By the time she was back at the table, Petra had somewhat calmed down, though it looked like she was trying to sit on nails considering the way she was bouncing on her seat. Compared to her, the Beeman might as well be a wax figure. Tina was actually astounded that Petra managed to play a board game without running ten rounds around the recreation room between turns. However, the chubby blond sometimes wondered if there was perhaps more to Petra's cheerfulness, if this was just a mask. Tina was not sure though, which was why she did not say anything; she wanted to watch Petra a little longer before speaking up. Perhaps it would also be a good idea to talk to Amy about her, she might know some answers.  
"Here, I just grabbed this one", Tina said as she sat up the game. "When do you think we return to _Hoth Motigor_? We did leave at an exciting cliffhanger, after all."  
Their characters were about to confront the big bad of their game when they were forced to stop playing because it was bedtime. Tina hated the curfew; it was too early for her. Besides, she was an adult; she could decide when she would go to sleep on her own. She and Lilli therefore held small whispered conversations in their dormitory when it was time to go to bed but they did not feel sleepy. Normally, Lilli was out like a light much sooner than Tina. Thus the older girl contented herself with longingly looking out of the window into the night sky until she felt tired. She hated life in the asylum, particularly the way many guards treated patients but she could not deny that she had taken a liking to her inmates. Sure, they were crazy but they were also likeable. If she ever got out of here and if someone else would be the head of this institution, she would surely come to visit them often; Edna would most likely come along too, she was sure of it. Unless the purple haired woman hated them all, then Tina would reckon she would rather eat broccoli. But Tina did not think about this yet, she had a board game against Petra and the Beeman to win.

* * *

Upstairs, in a solitary cell in which Edna once wasted ten years of her life, were Peter, Bruce, the Washing Maniac and Tiger Head busy with the task they had been assigned to a life time ago. The four already reached the point where they might as well be robots with their repeated movements all day long. Only their secret occasional small talks with Ben and Amy prevented them from losing their minds. Miranya, the neurotic guy and everyone else who was forced to make copies of Harvey did not fare any better. In general, morale was low for everyone stuck in solitary and it was getting lower and lower by each day. It was particularly noticeable in the execution of their tasks, which was slow and sluggish to the point that they made far less of their respective items than usual, much to Doctor Marcel and Anes's anger. These two did not understand what was wrong with them all. It could hardly be too hot in their cells, seeing they were generous enough to turn the air conditioning on. But if they would consult a therapist like Amy, they would only get some nonsensical answer. Probably something like they needed a change of scenery. No, Doctor Marcel did not need a diagnosis like this from someone who sympathizes with the loonies. Maybe it would be a good idea to utilize his hypnosis technique. It might have its flaws and a few of his victims might have freed themselves from it – like Edna and Lilli – but he saw no reason why it should not work in this case. None of those who were forced to do labor work seemed to have a strong will. If anything, they seemed to be weak-minded, especially this depressive guy Peter and this girl with the stuffed tiger on her head. Yes, hypnosis might just be the way, the old man thought as he retrieved his old pocket watch from his drawers. He rarely went anywhere without this round little chronometer, at least not when he had the intention to hypnotize someone. But if he did not need it, he usually kept it safely in his drawers, although he should really consider keeping it with himself at all times. Edna did once manage to steal the key to his Alfred Shrine Room, despite the drawers being stuck. Doctor Marcel was lucky he had his pocket watch on him while he was out in the village; otherwise she would probably have stolen it too. She took about everything she could get her hands on, causing him to buy the disappeared objects, like a small pot or pinking shears, again. Some of the stolen items were actually found not too far from the asylum but they could hardly be used anymore, after being damaged from a car crash, which had damaged his limousine. He suffered financially because of that day, a day he still cursed even after all these years and when he had his worst mood. His employees avoided him on such a particular day whenever possible. If they were unable to... well, tough luck for them. Doctor Marcel was just about to roll out of his office when he heard a knock on his door. It opened after he gave whoever it was his permission to enter, revealing it to be Ruben.  
"Yes, what is it?", the old man asked in annoyance.  
"Father, when do you expect Edna to appear? It's been a few days since you let her friends be kidnapped and still nothing", the young man with the paper bag over his head spoke up. Doctor Marcel rolled his eye at his son's question. He was as bad as a child in kindergarten age.  
"Ruben, we don't even know if she had seen the DVD yet", the old man said in a voice as though he was explaining to a kid that two and two equals four. "We have to be patient and wait. But if you're so eager to meet your brother's murderer, then go ahead and look for her."  
At least I would be rid of your for a few hours, Doctor Marcel added in his head. His son left his office and without further ado, the doctor did the same. His way was not very far from his office, just down the hall and around the corner. There was a single cell door with one of his employees standing guard. He did not know him well or even at all; this man was not among his most trusted minions.  
"Good morning, sir", the guard greeted his employer in a polite voice.  
"Morning", Doctor Marcel grumbled back. "Do you know the room with the yellow warning sign?"  
"Eh yes. What about it?", the young man sounded and looked confused.  
"I want you to bring Peter and this girl with the stuffed tiger on her head to this room", the doctor instructed. His employee still had confusion written all over his face but he nonetheless nodded his head.  
"Alright, I expect you in ten minutes and no second later", the old man said before he rolled two floors down. Upon reaching his floor, he glanced at the shrine room for a short moment, deciding he would be spending an hour there when he was done with Peter and Tiger Head. Doctor Marcel turned his wheelchair around to face the only other door that was not behind grates, approached it and opened it, entering the room behind it. He might plan to hypnotize them but an electroshock therapy was also just what they needed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another town, Edna and the Key Master had finished their breakfast. Right now, they gathered items they could possibly need together. Edna even went so far to buy a polo mallet in a sports store. When he asked her what this was about, she replied she lost her old one ages ago and needed something to defend herself with. Perhaps it was her imagination but she saw a flicker of fear in the Key Master's eyes for a split second. Other items they took along were the maps, hairpins, cutlery, potholders, a small pot, a ballpoint pen, a flashlight, ketchup and mustard, scissors and, of course, Harvey; in short, about the same items she had with her when she broke out of the institution. Whether or not everything would prove themselves to be useful had yet to be seen but Edna and Harvey wanted to make sure they could cause mayhem. Edna might not cause mayhem in public places or in her own home but she was always ready to let out her destructive side when Doctor Marcel's asylum was involved. This horrible place would most likely need a redecoration, from what little she saw during the few hours she was back there before Lilli saved her. Edna owed her freedom to her; now it was her turn to save her friends and she swore to herself she would not fail. There was no way Tina and Lilli would rot in this horrible place and the Borg would not want to assimilate about every species they encounter that would bring them closer to perfection before Edna voluntarily returned there. In her opinion, the asylum could be closed down or it could get a new head; someone who was more likeable and cared that his or her patients would become clinically sane.  
"Hm, I think this is all we need", Edna decided after going through the items again. "Oh yes, before I forget!" She quickly grabbed her wallet. "Would be kinda hard to use public transportation without being able to pay."  
And then we ran into Tina's room to get her cell phone, commenting her housemate might need it.  
"So, we're ready to go then? It'll be hours until night falls, what do you intent to do? Break in when it's still bright outside?", the Key Master pointed out.  
"Bah, details, details!", Harvey scoffed.  
"Well, we don't have to leave immediately", Edna shrugged. "It's just that I don't really know what to do with myself."  
"Hm, I'm sure you'll find something. Perhaps a video game or something to read", the Key Master suggested. Edna, who sat in tailor-fashion on the floor of the living room, let herself fall backwards and stared at the ceiling, contemplating whether to play the video game Tina had lent her or continuing reading her father's diary. In the end, she decided for the latter but no matter which option she would have chosen, it would have come down to the same. She would have to get up and walk to her room and get the object. In this case, it was Mattis's leather-bound diary on her bedside table. Edna grabbed the old book and returned to the living room, where she made herself comfortable on the couch. The Key Master sat next to her with a book he had taken from one of the shelves in his hands. Edna did not look what he was reading; she was more focused on reading about two more years of her life – from when she was almost five years old to when she was six going on seven. Time passed as though the clocks ran twice as fast. In those hours, Edna learned more about the pranks she played on Alfred and her unexpected displays of friendliness now and then. She got closer and closer to the entry about Mattis taking her to the asylum, the whole reason she actually began reading the diaries. At first, she contemplated to only read this entry but her curiosity about her parents' lives was just too big and she did not regret having read everything so far. There might have been things she was not happy about or that made her sad but she found she was better off knowing. The truth could hurt but in the end, she preferred the truth to living a lie. The corners of her mouth moved upwards when she pictured her antics, like making Alfred's closet messy after he tidied it up or when she painted the French doors with finger paint – until Doctor Marcel complained to Mattis about one of him as devil. Since then, no more finger painting for her. But she noticed she always liked doing creative stuff. This probably explained why she refused to ruin other patients' drawings and why Tina could easily convince her to take up art as hobby, even with clay. Harvey might be destructive but Edna liked creating things that would end up as decorative articles. There was some fun in conveying one's own emotion in a picture or sculpture. The possibilities were endless, only limited by a person's imagination.  
She reached the entry about her first visit in the asylum at last. She moved the diary a little closer to her face as if she was afraid the letters would disappear if she did not keep a close eye on them.

 _July 23rd, 1997_

 _I took Edna to Doctor Marcel's asylum today; it's getting harder and harder to raise her each day. I hoped one of Doctor Marcel's therapy methods could help me but they all seemed so radical, although the one about changing someone's personality sounded interesting. But I don't think I want Edna to change her whole personality and that's why we left without starting a therapy. Maybe there is still hope... But if she doesn't learn, then I might be forced to have Doctor Marcel correct her character._

So that was why Edna never began a therapy, albeit reluctantly, until after she became a patient in the asylum. Her father had hopes in her and she disappointed him... To say she felt bad about this would be the understatement of the century. But she had learned her lesson and she could only hope her father would forgive her in the afterlife. Even though she was a wild child, she never wanted things to turn out the way they did. But things never turned out the way one wanted them to be, this was a lesson she had learned a long time ago. Still, she liked her current life; it was not perfect but it was much better than it was when she was between eight and eighteen years old. Well, if only Doctor Marcel would leave her and her friends in peace. Could he just not move on? It was not like he could ever change the past. Even if he did change Edna's personality, it would not bring Alfred back. Edna shook her head to clear her mind, thinking too much about this would be just a waste of time and it would only give her a headache. She looked at the watch only to realize it was late afternoon. No wonder she was starving. She glanced at the Key Master, who still had his nose stuck in the book and from the looks of it; he was almost finished with it.  
"How about we take a quick bite to eat and then use public transportation to get to my old hometown?", Edna suggested, closing the leather-bound diary. The Key Master looked up from the book with an unreadable expression on his face.  
"Now that you mention it, I do feel kind of hungry", he responded as though he was asked if he remembered to pick up the laundry at the Laundromat. Edna put the diary on the coffee table before she got up and headed for the kitchen. She roamed through cupboards and the refrigerator, where she found the ingredients for toast Hawaii. She knew how to make it, having actually made it once. Not wanting to waste too much time with looking for something else, she took the ingredients and prepared the German dish with the exotic name.  
Twenty minutes later, Edna returned to the living room carrying two plates with two slices of toast Hawaii on each as well as knives and forks. The Key Master, who was still sitting on the couch and reading, looked over, then he closed the book and stood up. He put the book back onto the shelf before going to the table and taking a seat.  
"Don't you plan to finish the book?", Edna questioned while putting the plates on the table.  
"I actually finished it just when you came back", he explained. He looked at what she made and nodded in approval. He pulled one of the plates closer to him, took knife and fork, and began eating. Edna sat down as well and did the same as the Key Master. She had to admit, after she had taken the first bite, she did a pretty good job with it. Sometimes when she made something involving toast, she tended to burn but she did it right this time; none of the slices had a black spot upon them, only brown ones. Edna was not much of a cook; it was usually Tina who made lunch and dinner. Still Edna got steadily better and better the more she prepared her own meals. The first time she attempted to cook something, she triggered the smoke detector and whatever she tried to make was burned. It probably did not help that she listened to Harvey and left the stove on the highest temperature... She was not even permitted to enter the kitchen for several weeks and when she could finally enter the kitchen, then only with Tina accompanying her.

"Ready to travel to the asylum, save my friends and redecorate that damn place?", Edna cheerfully asked almost half an hour later after they finished eating.  
"I think I leave the whole interior designing up to you, Princess", the Key Master replied with a weak smile. "But yes, I am ready to go."  
The young woman nodded in acknowledgement and quickly went over her items one last time. She added her apartment keys to the inventory; they did have to get back in here somehow after accomplishing their mission.  
Ready for their mission, standing upright and tall, their hearts filled with courage, they strutted forward to their destination: the train station. Edna paid for two tickets for the next train to her old home, which would arrive in ten minutes. She took her time to watch the other passengers, who were about to board a train as well or who got off one. There were not many people around; about a handful would be her guess. Unknown faces, known faces, some she had never interacted with and even those annoying youths she had encountered recently. But she did not want to walk over to them and cause a stir. After all, she had something more important to do. Besides, they were not worth it. Instead, she started a short conversation with the Key Master about what if the asylum had another head. They quickly agreed with each other that everybody else would be better than Doctor Marcel – unless they were the greatest misanthrope of all times. They both, especially Edna, had to be careful not to get too passionate and too loud during their conversation. Not everyone had to listen to them. But their hatred for the old man was so great, it was easy to get carried away.  
Soon, they noticed their train had arrived and rushed off to board the train. A few people got off the transportation vehicle and a total of sixteen, Edna and the Key Master included, were about to board it. These people waited until all of the passengers, for who this station was the end of their line, got off before getting on themselves. Edna and the Key Master found a seat behind a couple of adolescent girls, who were gossiping about various things, like who was dating who or what a boy said about one of his friends behind his back. But Edna paid no attention to them; she did not know them or the people they were gossiping about. So, why should she listen to them? Her thoughts were more directed towards her rescue mission that was about to take place in a few hours. The closer night time came, the more nervous Edna began to feel. Thoughts like the probability of success or what if she led herself and the man she had a crush on back into solitary confinement kept coming to her. The thought about becoming an inmate in this atrocious asylum again was terrifying. Still, she did not let her fear control her; if she did, she might as well hide under a pond for the rest of her life. Besides, she was the kind of girl who climbed the tallest tree to the top or at least on the tool shed just so she could jump in a pile of leaves. A little break-in, getting two people out and breaking out again was not going to be that difficult. At least that was what Edna hoped. Still, she knew the place quite well, so there was no reason for any doubts, and she did not have to do this alone. She had actual help with her, someone who did not sit around in his cell and gave her instructions. There was no way the Key Master would let her do all the hard work, unlike last time.  
"Penny for your thoughts?", he spoke up. Edna, who had watched the passing landscape without actually seeing it, glanced at him and mumbled her response:  
"Just thinking about what we're planning to do."  
"You're not getting cold feet now, are you?"  
Edna shook her head.  
"No, but I do feel a little nervous", she admitted quietly.  
"You know your way around that place and you're intelligent. We will succeed, you don't have to worry about it", the Key Master said trying to calm her down.  
"He's right, we can do it!", Harvey agreed with the green-skinned man, much to Edna's surprise. She had never thought her blue lagomorph would ever agree on anything with the Key Master. Nevertheless, she gave them both a grateful smile and nodded.  
"You're both right. I shouldn't worry too much."  
It made no sense to think too much about it, otherwise she might just fail. And the confidence the two most important, still living males in her life had in her meant a lot to her.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Edna, her friends Anika, Gregor, Bianca and Sebastian were also on their way to her old home village, though in their case they were driving in Gregor's car. If only they knew of Edna's intention, they would help her. But was it still a good idea if so many broke into a mental institution to break two people out? It was most likely they would have thought up of a plan together if somebody just had said something. Since this was not the case, however, two groups were on a rescue mission. Gregor and Anika had picked up Bianca and Sebastian at the young girl's place. Her parents knew them because Anika's mother and Bianca's mother were acquainted with one another, thus Bianca's parents did not mind it if she spent a day with her. Sebastian's parents, in turn, trusted Mister and Missus Piumala and thus let their son go with them. However, they did not know what these four were about to do, they were given the excuse that they were going on a short camping trip. Bianca and Sebastian had even packed camping gear to uphold the illusion. They knew they would get in trouble with their parents should they find out about this but in their opinion, it would be worth it. Bianca's initial thought was to call the police but when she heard about the influence Doctor Marcel had over the village, she agreed on taking matters into their own hands.  
"Amy's information about the mental institution is correct, right? Right? I mean, there aren't any mistakes, right?", Bianca inquired, leaning forward to the passenger's seat occupied by Anika. The dark-skinned woman turned her head to the half-Italian, about to answer when Sebastian spoke up:  
"Relax, will you? Amy won't be giving us any outdated information, unless they're changing something during the next few hours."  
"He's right. 'Sides, Amy is there almost every day when she doesn't have to travel to another asylum. She would have told us if something was different", Anika reassured the younger girl.  
"But what if something does change in the next few hours? What do we do then?"  
Bianca sounded really worried. Her eyes flickered from Anika to Sebastian and back again, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper.  
"Then we have to think of an alternative", Gregor chimed in from the driver's seat. "Don't worry too much, have more faith in yourself and us."  
"I guess you're right", the younger girl sighed, sitting back down. She was never the kind of girl who would take risks or do potentially hazardous stuff, not even after having Edna for a friend for a few years. Normally, she was sure whether she or her friends would succeed or not but it was hard to determine in this case. There were just too many factors working for them and against them. But perhaps it was time to stop living on the safe side and take some risks. Besides, they were already on the highway; no chance to turn back now, a least not easily.  
"Don't worry; we're going through the plan again at Amy's place anyway. There's no way we'd fail", Sebastian assured her, patting her shoulder. "Try to think of something positive, like our trip to France."  
Bianca gazed at him, looking like she was in a much better mood after his words. They would be going in a week; she had even taught herself French. Whether or not her pronunciations were correct were still up in the air. Nonetheless, she wanted to be prepared for the trip. There was, after all, no guarantee that every Frenchman they would come across knew German, English or even Italian. Chances for this were diminishing low. Also, Bianca enjoyed learning a new language. If her school would offer French lessons, she would gladly take them but the only other lesson that was offered, aside from the mandatory English, was Italian and she could speak that since she was little.  
"Say, does your boss from the restaurant you work at know about Tina's whereabouts?", Gregor asked his girlfriend.  
"I don't know, can't say for sure. He looked normal last time I saw but he might as well be keeping it to himself. I mean, why should he speak to his employees about his niece's disappearance, least of all the waiters?", Anika responded, ending it with a counter-question.  
"Oh, I just thought he spoke with you about her since you're Tina's friend. He might have wanted to speak with someone close to her", Gregor retorted.  
"Unless he is either not the kind of person to speak about this or he genuinely doesn't know about it", Anika pointed out. "But it won't matter anymore when we get Tina and this little girl who's Edna's friend out."  
She added in her mind that they could probably get into trouble with the police but did not dare to say it out loud. Otherwise, she might scare Bianca and she had only just started to calm down. Anika admired her for participating in this rescue mission but she did not appreciate that Bianca was worse than a mother hen. It would do the young girl some good if she and Sebastian would get together; then maybe some of his easy going nature would rub off on her. Bianca was a little too much like a woman twice her age plus an additional ten years. Anika never thought she would ever meet a teenager who acted much older than they actually were. But before she met Edna and became friends with her, she never even thought of interacting with adolescents unless they were patrons in the restaurant she worked at or patients in her mother's hospital. It was only when she visited Edna while she and Bianca worked on a school project together did Anika meet the young half-Italian and became friends with her soon afterwards. Not long after their first meeting, their parents got acquainted with one another when her younger brother was hospitalized. Since then, their families were friends and Anika was sometimes entrusted to check on them when Bianca and Luca were without supervision. However, this was rarely necessary since Bianca was the most responsible girl she knew. Still, she was grateful for the friendships she made because she decided to treat Edna nicely and become her friend. These last few years had been the most fun in her life and she would do anything for Edna and Tina and the former's classmates. This was the same for everyone in this vehicle, even if they were afraid. But as the three musketeers said, all for one and one for all.

* * *

Meanwhile, life in the asylum was like it always was and describing it with the adjective 'normal' would be a lie. If it were, then the inmates would not be forced to serenade to King Adrian, with Maestro Frank as the lead voice, for his throne jubilee. Nobody, except the king himself and Drogglejug were aware that he lost his crown to Edna but since she was gone only a few hours later, he reclaimed his throne. It was almost like his brief time as a subject never happened. Only the lack of his gold medal was a constant reminder of it. But no one had tried to claim the title as King of The Recreation Room since Edna for some reason, though most people reckon it was because Drogglejug did not accept anyone other than Adrian as his king. Chances of Adrian remaining king until he either died, was declared clinically sane or abdicated were skyrocketing. His loyal subjects had accepted it long ago, even those who once competed against him – before Edna tried it herself and won. Besides, it was easier that way and it gave them some stability – more or less – in the recreation room. And thus, to commemorate his anniversary of claiming the throne, Maestro Frank led everyone else in singing _God Save The Queen_ with changed lyrics. Hardly anyone was in rhythm and a few were even off-key. Every musician in the world would be crying if they heard this. But it seemed to be good enough for King Adrian.  
"Thank you, my loyal subjects", he said in his loud, booming voice. "My first years as your ruler have been successful! And my dynasty as a king will go on forevermore! As long as I remain on the throne, there'll be no hunger, no poverty and nobody will be bored! Furthermore, I ban the ugly ashtrays and the creation of more of these in occupational therapy!"  
The last declaration was met with a cheer of deafening volume. It was common knowledge that occupational therapy was universally hated by every patient but neither Lilli nor Tina would have thought it was this much. These two were the only ones who were too busy to cover their ears to be cheering and applauding. Fortunately, the noise level decreased soon when King Adrian held up his hand to silence the crowd.  
"And I declare, by royal decree, that we will henceforth have movie nights on Fridays!", the monarch announced, much to his subjects' joy.  
"And how does he expect to go through with it?", Tina muttered to Lilli.  
"You forget the television room", she mumbled back. "I'm sure they'll find something that looks like a movie."  
"Good point."  
They turned their attention back to King Adrian just in time to hear him declare that a foosball tournament was to be taken place in the bar. Participants should talk with Professor Nock to sign up. Several people walked up to the dinosaur maniac while those who did not wish to participate made their way to the bar. Chairs from other parts of the recreation room had to be taken to the bar since there were not enough seating accommodations. Never had the Barkeeper seen this many people at once in his establishment, he could usually call himself lucky if he had three patrons at the same time. Tina and Lilli were among the first in the bar, therefore they could secure seats with a great view to the foosball table. More and more people took their seats around them, with their friend Petra sitting down next to Lilli. Professor Nock sat close to the foosball table too, with a clipboard on his lap and a pen in his hand. Then, after everyone had taken their seats, King Adrian strutted into the room, followed closely by Drogglejug, who carried something that looked like a cup on a red pillow. They were soon followed by the ten participants, among them the Beeman, Max, Maestro Frank and the Ticket Inspector. The first two to compete against each other were a brunette woman wearing a potato sack and a bald man who had a bed sheet draped around him like a toga. These two stood on the opposite ends of the foosball table, facing each other. King Adrian stepped forward and placed a tiny ball, which Amy had gotten for them, right in the middle of the table.  
"Let the games begin!"  
A thrilling match commenced between the two contestants. If one was about to take a shot at the other's goal, they blocked it. If one scored a goal, the other scored one right afterwards. In the end, the woman in the potato sack was the victor. She took her seat among the contestants, while the man took his chair and moved it over to the spectators. The next match was between the Ticket Inspector against a man who was dressed like a little boy from the Roaring Twenties. Like before, King Adrian announced the start of this round.

* * *

Upstairs was the mood less thrilling, less festive, less joyful; it was more of the opposite. It had been several hours since Peter and Tiger Head had been taken away. The Washing Maniac and Bruce kept glancing at the door, pondering what was happening to them. For the first time since the four patients were locked up in this cell and condemned to make these darts, they were separated. Over time, they had gotten to know each other better and became something like friends – although they knew next to nothing about Tiger Head, she was still close to them. Now with her and Peter gone, there was an uncertainty that filled the cell.  
"I sure hope they're alright", the Washing Maniac commented. "Do you think they'll be back? Or do you reckon they're getting another task?"  
"I don't know but I hope Doctor Marcel and Anes won't force us to work faster. In fact, I hope we're done with this soon. I can't see those things anymore", Bruce complained with gritted teeth. "Why do they need so many anyway? And why don't they just get those tranquilizers for animals?"  
The Washing Maniac shrugged, mumbling "dunno" when the cell door opened and the guard pushed Peter and Tiger Head in. He slammed the door immediately after they passed the threshold. Bruce and the Washing Maniac abandoned their work to check up on them.  
"What happened? Are you two okay?", the blond man with the tanned skin asked worriedly. But he received no response and when he and Bruce looked into their eyes, they saw an empty, blank stare. Peter and Tiger Head walked, like in a trance, to the table and started working with an efficiency neither of them had ever shown before. The other two stared open-mouthed at them, their ocular organs almost popping out. Peter and Tiger Head's hands were only a flesh-colored blur in the velocity they worked in.  
"I suppose we now know what happened to them", Bruce commented weakly.  
"We do?", the Washing Maniac retorted in a surprised voice. Bruce nodded:  
"Look at them, it's like they're in a trance, and Doctor Marcel is known for using hypnosis on his patients. Therefore, I reckon he hypnotized them to work more efficiently."  
"Ah, I see", the Washing Maniac mumbled, watching how the pile of finished darts got more enormous with each passing minute. The two who were still normal stared at each other, completely at a loss as to what they should do. They shrugged and joined the others. Compared to Peter and Tiger Head, Bruce and the Washing Maniac worked in slow motion. But nonetheless, the production of the darts had significantly increased in just half an hour. Neither Bruce nor the Washing Maniac wanted to know how many darts they would produce if they, too, were hypnotized. They would drown in them, perhaps. Still, were Peter and Tiger Head like this forever? Or could they fight the hypnosis off? These two were like machines, distant, cold, and emotionless. Before their brain washing, they were much better companions, even if Peter was sometimes annoying with his depressive nature.  
"We need them back to normal", the Washing Maniac whispered to the only other person who was still as normal as a patient of an asylum could be. "I can't stand being with machines and we made more than enough darts to last for a life time."  
"I know but how are we going to do that?", Bruce retorted, throwing the dart he just finished making into a pile. He did not start making another one, there was no need. For one, Peter and Tiger Head made enough for eight of them and for another; he saw no point in it. Bruce often glanced at the door, in case the guard or either Doctor Marcel or Anes checked up on them or worse take him and the Washing Maniac away for a hypnosis treatment. Fortunately, the door remained closed and Bruce and the Washing Maniac would like it to remain so, unless it was Ben or his girlfriend. Actually, they could need their company now...

* * *

Alone, in a room that was engulfed in a red tinted light, was Doctor Marcel, staring at the portrait of his son Alfred. If he were still alive, he would be a respectable adult now. He would have fulfilled his dream of either having a well-paid office job or of having become a geologist. Who knew, perhaps his obedient nature might have rubbed off on his older brother, who was nothing but an annoyance to Doctor Marcel. If Alfred were still alive, then the doctor would not be tied to a wheelchair and he would be able to see with both eyes. Why could it not be Edna being stupid and falling down the stairs instead of her pushing Alfred down? Doctor Marcel kept asking himself the question again and again. But this was just another evidence that the world was cruel and unfair. Virtuous people like him or Alfred would get punished while despicable people like Edna would get rewarded by life. In a perfect world, it would be the other way around. In a perfect world, this room would not be an altar filled with Alfred's toys, pictures, and homework planer but with his achievements. Doctor Marcel sniffed once for the things that could have been and once for the death of his son. But he was going to get his revenge, he vowed to himself, come what may. If his hypnosis did not work again on Edna, though he was sure it was going to be a success, then the time of trying to change her personality to make her more like Alfred was over. But first, her confounded rag doll rabbit had to go. It only did more harm than good, except when he had the special eyes developed by the doctor himself instead of his normal ones. These red eyes actually worked really well, he had only needed to refine them and he would have no reason to abandon the mass production of the hypnosis rabbit. That reminded him, he should perhaps check on those patients who were responsible for sewing these lagomorphs together. Not that they slowed their production down too, otherwise he might be forced to give out a few more of his hypnosis treatment. But not now, Doctor Marcel was here to remember Alfred, the most perfect child who ever existed. Children should be more like him, obedient, tidy and responsible, none of this whole playing games or being messy nonsense. Those traits only showed that kids were not any better than delinquents. Childishness – the most useless thing in existence and the reason why the perfect example of an offspring died. Doctor Marcel looked up at Alfred's portrait before turning his wheelchair around to gaze at all the other objects in the room. His bicycle and his kite were near the window – the doctor remembered how Edna watched Alfred with envy in her eyes while he was cheering. Toy cars, a yo-yo and marbles were all in the lowest shelf behind the safety glass. Above those was his now eyeless teddy Poozie and on the topmost shelf was his homework planer. Doctor Marcel's eye traveled to the three small photos hanging left of the big portrait. Originally, he had wanted this room to be a gallery of Alfred's achievements he was most likely to make if he were alive. Thus he had hung those three photos up on this room but Alfred was pushed down the stairs only one day later and this room became an altar instead of a gallery. To think that there would be framed awards and photos of Alfred receiving those on the walls instead of his useless toys behind safety glass made Doctor Marcel even sadder than he already felt. Sure, he could throw the toys away but he could not bring himself to do this, although it might be a good idea to add more photos on the walls. There was enough space, after all, and he had plenty of pictures at home. Yes, that was what he was going to do the next day. When he returned home tonight, he would be picking out some more of Alfred's photo and be hanging them up in this room. Doctor Marcel remained in the Alfred Altar Room for another hour before he left it, locking the door. He headed downstairs, all the way down to the basement and down a little ramp to his archives. There were still some files he had to work on and he preferred doing so himself. He only needed assistance when he had to add a file in one of the folders that were out of his reach. But as he turned the computer on he decided he would trouble himself with this little thing later. Work was waiting for him and he was not about to procrastinate. The window with the password requirement popped up a minute later and Doctor Marcel typed it in. A few seconds later, he came face to screen with the desktop. He opened the files of the patients, updating their status before printing these out. It was something he did once every quarter year. He had those for every patient who was still here; he abandoned the files of those who managed to escape, died or were released. Countless folders and even more files had accumulated over the years; the earliest were even handwritten before he could afford a computer. There was a lot Doctor Marcel had to add to update his patients' information, so he was likely to be busy for the next two hours.

* * *

Gregor, Anika, Bianca and Sebastian arrived at the older girl's sister's house after having driven on the highway for an hour. It was late afternoon by now, although it still looked like around midday. Amy sat in a beach chair under the shade of a tree, with a glass of lemonade, which was covered up with a lid, on a table. She read a book by Robert Louis Stevenson – _The Curious Case of Doctor Jekyll And Mister Hyde_ – until Gregor honked with his car. Amy looked up from her literature and grinned upon spotting the vehicle. She put her book aside and got up, walking over to the car to greet them all.  
"Glad y'all could make it", she grinned while the four passengers got out of the car.  
"Of course, we can't abandon our friend and let this doctor continue with this injustice", Anika replied with a smile. "If we don't stop him, who will?"  
"True, come on, I got some cookies in the kitchen and some freshly made lemonade. We won't be starting our mission until it gets dark", Amy said, nodding towards the house. The others nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, I go and tell Ben you guys are here. You go get comfortable... on the lawn..."  
She said the last the three words very slowly when she realized that the only garden furniture was the table and the beach chair. Announcing that she was going to get more seating accommodation, she headed for the house and went straight to the stairs leading to the upper floor.  
"Hey Ben! Our guests are here! Move your ass down here!", she shouted at the bottom of the stairs.  
"Coming!", he yelled back while Amy moved from this set of stairs to the one leading to the basement. Ben appeared next to her a minute later and she walked down, signaling him to follow her. They could just barely see the steps down to the basement, with only the small windows providing little light. Still, it was enough to not trip over their own feet and there was also enough illumination from upstairs, so there was no need to flip the light switch. The only trouble was it was not easy to see the garden chairs in the darkness. Thus, Ben took out his phone and used it as a flashlight.  
"Really, you should make it a habit to turn on the light when you go down here during the day", he commented. "What exactly are you looking for anyway?"  
"Garden chairs; the weather's too nice to be stuck inside for my sister and her friends. And the same goes for you", Amy swiveled around to Ben's outline, looking pointedly at him. If she could see his face, she would see him rolling his eyes.  
"I'll come out to join y'all, better?"  
"Yep."  
They found the objects they were searching for not long after. Amy took two and Ben, who pocketed his phone, took three – the additional one for himself. They followed the light from the top of the stairs back upstairs, albeit very slowly to prevent any accidents. The last thing Amy wanted for them was to fall down these steps and break their neck. After all, there was still a lot she wanted to do in her life. But they overcame the obstacle and went back outside to their guests, who were either walking around the front yard or standing under the tree.  
"Well, we got some seat for you guys", Amy said while she and Ben placed the chairs so that they stood around the table. "Anyone want cookies? Or lemonade? Or another beverage?"  
"I wouldn't mind a glass of lemonade but no cookies for me, please", Bianca was the first to reply. The other three did say yes to the cookies but Anika, however, asked for water instead of lemonade. Being the good hosts they were, Amy and Ben walked back into the house. He got the glasses and beverages on a tray and she took the cookie jar outside. It was placed in the center of the table, so that everyone could easily grab one. Then Amy filled the glasses with lemonade or, in Anika's case, water after Ben put them in front of the four guests.  
"I have to work the night shift in a few hours, so I'm going to take a nap later. After I leave for work, you wait for half an hour, then follow me to the asylum", Ben went through the plan but his girlfriend, who had also told him about this, silenced him by putting her hand on his shoulder.  
"They know the plan, there's no need to go through it."  
"But it still might be helpful", Bianca piped up with a grin. This was more or less underlined by loud smacking noises coming from Sebastian, who was busy stuffing his face with cookies. The three females stared at him disapprovingly, though he did not seem to notice.  
"I think my Sis is right", Anika commented, forcing her eyes away from Sebastian. "If we plan every single detail meticulously, we might not be flexible enough to improvise on the spot should the need arise. What do you think?"  
She directed the question at the two males who had not yet contributed anything to the conversation. Sebastian, who had stuffed his mouth with another cookie, looked at her like a deer in headlights; Gregor simply shrugged.  
"A fine help you two are", Anika rolled her eyes and gave them a quick review of what they had been talking about for the last five minutes. The two males also decided they did not need to go over the plan and to let it come they way it would come. Realizing she was over-voted, Bianca responded with the word "okay" in a good-natured tone and took a sip from her glass of lemonade. Ben removed himself from the happy round by saying "until later" and walking into the house before Amy could stop him.  
"Well, I guess I should let him rest before he dozes off at work", she shrugged, taking a cookie and munching it.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them all, the train with their friend Edna and her crush the Key Master as passengers just arrived at the local train station. The young woman was glad to see her old home again but would be happier if it were not for such a serious reason. She would prefer if it would be to relive something from her childhood, like a cycling tour or selling ice cream in Winter, even if it were only two flavors – lemon and vanilla. Anything would be better than going back to the asylum. Perhaps she would not even do this if the two persons she was about to rescue did not mean so much to her. But Edna could say for sure, nobody should be a patient of Doctor Marcel's in her opinion. She did not think she could ever get over what he did to her and what he tried to do to her. What was the point in erasing her memories again and again? What if he messed up and she would not have been able to do even the most mundane things? She could have ended up as a newborn inside the body of a young adult. She was lucky it did not happen that way and it really made no sense to think over could have beens. It was not like she could change the past, unless she had a DeLorean.  
"Where to now?", the Key Master asked as they left the train station. "The church? Or your house? You kind of neglected to mention where we would wait until it was time to sneak into the asylum."  
"Huh? I thought I mentioned at least once that we're hiding in my house", Edna replied before addressing Harvey: "I did, didn't I?"  
"Don't know", he replied. Edna shrugged, thinking that it did not matter whether she mentioned it before or not. The Key Master knew it now and better late than never. She led him through the village to her house, all the while imagining how everything looked like when her age was written in single digit numbers. A lot of things had changed and yet, she still saw the place of her childhood. It was like all those things changed from one moment to the next in her point of view. The bookstore they walked past, for one, used to be a little shop for knickknacks while another bookstore used to be on the other end of the village. Edna kept looking left and right as though she were a visitor in a theme park where she would spot amazing things wherever she turned to. She wondered what else had changed, aside from new stores opening and old ones closing or stores moving their locations. How many people moved away? And how many moved to this village? How many recreational facilities were under new management? Was there already a plan what was going to happen to the abandoned convent school? This question shot through Edna's head upon spotting her hiding place on a hill opposite the asylum. From the looks of it, nothing had been done since she fled this establishment too. Maybe it would end up as something like a haunted house in a few years' time. Some rich guy would surely have the same idea too; if Edna had the money, she would certainly do this.  
"You hid there for a few years, didn't you? In the convent school, I mean", the Key Master commented.  
"Yep, not my favorite hiding place but Lilli was a sweet friend", Edna responded with a nod. She turned away from the view to the convent school, going a different direction than the one that led to the establishment and soon arriving in the part of the village she lived in, all the while the Key Master followed her. They walked past some houses, all of which looked like the owners were not home. If they were all on vacation, then this would be one big coincidence. Hopefully, there was no burglar running around and breaking in.  
"There we are", Edna grinned in satisfaction, standing with her hands in her hips in front of her old house. It had become even more rundown since the last time she was here. She pondered to herself if anybody ever planned to demolish the house and build a new one on the same spot. The thought saddened her but at the same time; she wondered why it had not happened yet. There was enough time, after all. But at least it gave her the opportunity to get her parents' possessions, which would all have ended up on a landfill if her childhood home had been demolished.  
"I doubt staying here for a longer period of time is beneficial for our health", the Key Master commented. "How long has it been since anybody lived in and took care of this house?"  
"Since I ended up in the asylum and Mattis lied to the police and told them he killed Alfred, I guess", Edna whispered her response, a note of sadness in her voice. One push was all it took to change her life completely and forever. Time again did she wish she could communicate with the deceased just to apologize to Alfred and Mattis. But still, if she was presented with the chance to do all this over again, would she do things differently or would she not change a thing? It was only because of those events she met the Key Master and developed feelings for him. They might not have met if she had never pushed Alfred down the stairs, even if she would never stop regretting this action.  
"But I wish someone would have taken care of this house", Edna added, frowning depressively at this once beautiful house. She felt the Key Master snaking his arm around her shoulders, squeezing her lightly to himself, probably to comfort her in his own, non-verbal way. She leaned her head against his shoulder, staying like this for a short fleeting moment. Then she gently disengaged herself from him and took his hand, leading him to the back of the house where she spent countless hours playing or building traps.  
"How about a tour through the house to pass the time?", Edna offered gazing at the house. She pressed Harvey closely to her chest as she turned around to look at the Key Master with a questioning smile.  
"I don't see why not", he replied. "But there's one thing I'm wondering about." He pointed to the general direction to the front of the house. "What's with these broken garden gnomes? If those were garden gnomes."  
"They were and they're only broken because I remembered Mattis hid a spare key in one of them but I didn't know which one, so I kept breaking them with my mallet until I found it... only to break it when I tried to unlock the door", Edna explained. "Funny that you always find things you're looking for in the last place you check. Anything else you'd like to know? Questions can be asked and will be answered during the tour, thank you."  
She gestured to the Key Master to enter the house through the backdoor into the kitchen. He walked ahead and she followed, both of them stopping in the center of the room. She forced Harvey into his arms, took a step back and spread her own limbs.  
"This is the kitchen", she said redundantly. "This is where Mattis prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner, where we took turns washing the dishes and where mom met her untimely demise."  
Most of what she just said was said in a joyful tone but the moment she mentioned her mother, it dropped into a low, sad whisper. She took one deep breath to collect herself and put on a cheerful smile, indicating at the big pot on the stove, where green stuff was growing out from.  
"And this is the mushroom soup Mattis prepared before he and I left the house forever... or an experiment of his", she said as though she was a tour guide before pointing at the kitchen sink and telling the Key Master about washing dishes and her trying snip her bogies as far as possible. He made a disgusted face at the latter. The next station was the window and her telling him how she cut her toenails under it or any other room in this house, just as long as it was underneath a window. She also told the Key Master about the different meals her father tried to cook but did not do a very good job at. Still, it was not so bad that Edna did not eat anything and starved. After she was done with the kitchen, she led him through the door and down the stairs to the basement.  
"This is where Mattis stored random things and locked me in when I misbehaved, where I learned to chew off my toenails to use them as screwdriver and where the central heating's located", Edna rattled off and then indicated at the shelf. The empty boxes seemed to fall apart just by looking at them; the once snowy white towels were now gray. On the lowest shelf were several jars of marmalade, although it seemed like an entirely new species grew out of it. Edna never liked the marmalade and seeing this only increased her dislike. On the very top of the shelf were several buckets of dried paint. Mattis wanted to paint the shed but never got around and before he knew it, it got as dry as a desert. Only the jar full of rusty nails was the same as when she was a child. Cobwebs adorned the corners of the shelf as well as of the room. In fact, she spotted a couple of spiders crawling around here and there. She would not be surprised if there were a lot more throughout the house, as well as small critters like rats. No one had lived here and taken care of the house for over a decade, it was inevitable that insects and small animals had gotten comfortable here. Or that plants and mold would grow everywhere. The house really was in no livable condition anymore; if anyone ever wanted to move in, they would have to demolish and rebuild it.  
"On to the next stop", Edna announced and led the Key Master back upstairs, through the kitchen to the hallway. They walked to the foot of the stairs in here but did not ascend it. Instead, Edna turned on the spot and indicated at about everything on this floor. "And this is the hallway, which leads to every other room in this humble abode. There you can see the front door, with my father's coat hanging on the clothes rack right next to it as well as a mirror." Edna, who had nodded towards a door opposite of the one leading to the kitchen, turned around and pointed at a door next to the kitchen. "This leads to the living room."  
She walked towards this door, opened it and walked into the room behind it, with the Key Master in tow. The first thing they noticed were the French doors leading to the porch and a dinner table and a few chairs right in front of it. If they turned to the right, they would see a drawer and two candelabras with candles hanging limply from them standing on it. On the wall hung an enormous portrait of a wide field and a windmill – the picture from a cold cut commercial.  
"Nice picture", the Key Master commented, examining it.  
"I don't even know where Mattis got it from", Edna shrugged. "But he always needed hours to hang it up evenly. I needed just a second to have it askew."  
Edna grinned mischievously and then turned to the table.  
"This is where we usually ate our meals and where I used to draw comics and make sculptures... until Mattis said I should just tell him if I don't like my mashed potatoes."  
"You do know you're not supposed to play with your food, don't you?", her green-skinned companion smirked. Edna's response was to cheekily stick out her tongue at him. Then she moved around the dinner table to the other half of the living room. One corner of the carpet in front of the couch was burned away. The wall across from the painting was covered by a wall unit. In the center was an old television set, which was once the newest model on the market some time from the early to mid Nineties. In a shelf underneath it was a video recorder. The closets left and right of the television set and underneath the video recorder were filled several video tapes and the books Edna used to read to improve and enlarge her vocabulary. She approached the closets and opened the doors, coming face to face with motion pictures and literature of various genres, like science fiction or comedy. There were a couple of children's movies and books, although Edna could hardly remember having watched or read them. Maybe she did but those did not stick in her mind, unlike the others. Those children's stories had always been too boring and happy for her. The books aimed at older targeting groups were more exciting to her, even if she did have trouble understanding them at first. But it helped her being on the same level as Alfred, at least in language subjects. She never managed to reach his level in science and mathematics, no matter how hard she tried. Although she was slightly better in the former than the latter but it could not be denied that language and art were her talents. But she was not here to reminisce about all this; she was here to give the Key Master a tour to pass time until it was getting dark. Still, it was hard not to think back of her childhood when she saw all those things, like the videos she just spotted in the shelves. There were so many classic movies that were age inappropriate for her back then as well as those that were appropriate.  
"Oh, _Psycho_!", Edna exclaimed upon spotting the Hitchcock movie from the Sixties. "I watched it once secretly when I was seven. Mattis had been invited to a dinner with his boss and he couldn't refuse. An old lady from across the street was looking after me but fell asleep. So I seized the opportunity and watched it."  
"You were quite rebellious, weren't you?", the Key Master commented with an amused grin. Edna reciprocated the expression and gave a single word reply:  
"Yup."  
"Any other movie you watched in secret that you shouldn't have been watching?", the Key Master asked as he himself took a look at this old collection.  
"A few", Edna admitted. "Usually with low volume in the middle of the night. Well, those rare nights Dad did not work and actually slept. But also sometimes, when he was too absorbed in his work."  
"Is it safe to assume that 'a few' actually means 'a lot'?", the Key Master smirked, to which Edna grinned. Then he nodded towards the carpet. "What happened to it?"  
"Oh that", Edna chortled. "I set it on fire... somewhat accidentally..."  
She added the last two words as though they were an afterthought. The Key Master only nodded in acknowledgement but did not say anything. She turned back to the wall unit and gazed at the videos; she was always incredibly tired then following day after having spent a night watching a motion picture she was not supposed to watch. She had been aware even back then that she would get in trouble if she did it every night, so it only happened rarely and mostly only when she did not have school the following day. Otherwise Mister Hornbush would have noticed if she kept dozing off and she would have spent the whole school day inside the closet and honestly, she had already spent there more times than a criminal in prison. Also, if Alfred had known about this, he would have told her father and she would have been locked in the basement or in her room.  
"C'mon, there are a few more rooms in this house", Edna said, finally turning her gaze away from the videos and the books. She would later come back and take them with her...


	23. In The Asylum

Well, Julayla, I hope you think thus chapter is well-made. And thank you so much for your review.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three**

 **In The Asylum**

The foosball tournament was in the semi-finals by now. The first two opponents, Maestro Frank and the Ticket Inspector, finished their match a couple of minutes ago with the latter coming out as the victor. The second match of the semi-finals was between the Beeman and a guy who did not seem to be able to stop bouncing. As it was with the previous matches, King Adrian announced the start. However, both Lilli and Tina had long lost their interest and only watched the matches in a half sleeping stage. They would have left but were too lazy and also, everybody was either participating in the tournament or watching it. The Barman surely never had so many people in his establishment before or was going to have following this day. Tina dozed off several times during this match, only to be jerked awake by the cheers and moans of the crowd that sounded like it came from a creature with countless heads, like a Hydra after its heads had been cut off and regrown. Hopefully the tournament would be over soon. The first few rounds might have been fun to watch but it was getting repetitive and as boring as a real soccer game. Maybe she should just leave and do something she actually enjoyed doing.  
"And the winner is Hoppy Hop!", King Adrian's booming voice pulled Tina as well as Lilli out of their daydreams. "The finale will be a match between the Ticket Inspector and –"  
"Alright! Gather around! Time for dinner!", the voice of a guard interrupted him. A bespectacled man with a goatee, curly hair and a bored expression entered the bar. Confusion flashed in his eyes but it was gone a second later. "Why's everyone here? Aw, don't care. Just move along. Dinner ain't gonna wait for you all."  
One by one, the patients rose to their feet and followed in single file the guard out of the bar and to the main room, where his colleagues were standing all dressed up and nowhere to go. They were flabbergasted when the bearded guard arrived with all of the seemingly disappeared patients.  
"They were in that room behind the arts and crafts room", he explained before anyone could ask. At least they found every patient relatively quick as opposed to looking for them all over the recreation room like they usually had to. The guards repositioned the patients so that they were not in single file anymore but that there were always three to four in one row. Then they marched out of the recreation room through the open grate downstairs to the ground floor, left of the staircase and into the cafeteria. Upon entering the big, spacious room, the guards scattered to block off any exit while the inmates sat down at the tables. Some of them talked about the tournament, even betting who would win the final. Others discussed what movies they would watch on the first movie night.  
"Let's hope they're actually showing a movie on TV on Friday", Lilli commented after Petra voiced her desire to see a romantic movie.  
"Well, there's always at least one station that shows a movie on Fridays at eight fifteen but whether anyone wants to watch it or not is another matter", Tina shrugged, playing with a strand of her hair. She scrutinized it critically. "I really need to go to the hair salon."  
A few trolleys were pushed by a few other employees from the kitchen to the cafeteria. Bowls full of wilted salad were being served, much to the disgust of most inmates. Only Petra seemed to be happy since no animal died for this, as she so cheerfully exclaimed.  
"Unless there are bugs in there", Tina whispered to Lilli, who giggled. A minute later, they got their bowls of wilted salad. The chubby blond poked it with a fork. "Are they trying to feed us or poison us?"  
The younger girl shrugged as she got some of the salad on her fork. However, she only led it halfway to her mouth, looking at it in disgust. Other patients had the same reaction as her, although a couple of them happily ate it as though it was as fresh as if they had just been harvested and prepared right away.  
"I guess we have to eat this or we'll starve", Tina said, sounding like she actually preferred the second option. "How high are the chances of them –" She nodded at one of the guards "– calling the ambulance?"  
"I hope very high", Lilli retorted. Both blondes gulped, took a deep breath and a bite. They chewed it and forced it down their throats, making noises of disgust. They did it again and again, until they could not force themselves anymore. The bowls were halfway empty but Tina and Lilli looked like they wanted to get the supper out the same way they got it in. But they were not the only ones. Those who had the same reaction to the salad as them also made the same expression. Some, like Petra, did not seem to be bothered by its wilted state or the overripe tomatoes. One of the inmates even asked if they could get something else for dinner but the guard she talked to just snapped at her and told her they would not get anything else. This caused a collective groan to go through the cafeteria and the guard, in turn, yelled for them to be quiet.  
"Cheerful fella", Lilli rolled her eyes. Dinner was over not long after this and the patients were escorted back to the recreation room for another hour before it was time to go to bed.

* * *

"And this is my room!"  
Edna and the Key Master reached the last and final station of her house. On the outside, she appeared cheerful and in a good mood but on the inside, she felt all of the regret she felt for the death of Alfred surging through her body. She tried to ignore it, getting anxious about this was not going to help at all.  
"I always had fun climbing out of the window, even if the door wasn't locked and even though I'm a little afraid of heights", Edna said, walking to the window and looking out, or trying to. "But the thrill is what made it exciting."  
Edna turned away from the window to look around in her old bedroom, imagining how it once looked like. It was much brighter, in white and purple, with two posters hanging above her bed and under the shelf. These were long gone now but the shelf was still there. Even her possessions were still there, including her precious elephant Apocalyptor. Edna sat Harvey down on the chair at her desk and climbed on her bed, stretching her whole body and arm to reach her pachyderm. The Key Master watched her and something told her that his green eyes were traveling up and down her body. Where were the eyes on the back of her head when she needed them? He would surely look away if she turned around to check. But she should not get crazy over this; if he did check her out, then she was not going to reprimand him. After all, the Key Master never treated her like she was some quick, disposable fun and as long as it was just checking her out, there was no reason for her to be afraid. Also, she felt flattered. Besides, while he had been scaring her several times since they first met, he never harassed her. Although it did not excuse the murders he committed. Still, Edna was willing to give him a chance to show he had changed.  
"What are you doing, Princess?", the Key Master questioned just as she managed to grab Apocalyptor by its trunk.  
"Gotcha!", Edna grinned while simultaneously getting her pachyderm off the shelf. She jumped down from her bed and looked at her green-skinned friend with big purple eyes. "I was just getting Apocalyptor. He has been here all alone for long, it's time he's coming with me and Harvey."  
"Apocalyptor!?", the Key Master repeated incredulously, as though he could not imagine anyone naming their stuffed animal this. "And let me guess, he can speak too?"  
"Nope, but he can use sign language and belch the alphabet", Edna replied while walking towards her chair and taking Harvey back into her arms. "So, now my two oldest friends are reunited."  
"You make it sound like we were a couple", Harvey commented with disgust in his voice. "And you know I only like the opposite sex!"  
"Sorry buddy, didn't mean it like this", she apologized before turning to the Key Master: "Well, the tour's finished. What now?"  
"How about we go out to your backyard first?", he suggested. "The air in here can't be good for our lungs."  
Edna, who immensely disliked the moldy odor of the interior, agreed with his suggestion. Without hesitating, they left the room of the little girl Edna once was, walked down two set of stairs and left the house through the front door. Both members of them took a deep breath of refreshing air, their lungs rejoicing in gratitude. Now out in the sunlight, Edna took a good look at Apocalyptor, noting the elephant was not as white as it once was but dark gray, almost to the point of almost being black. When this was all over, she was going to wash him until he looked somewhat white. She was not sure if she could ever get him back the way he used to be but she was going to be satisfied if he was not that dirty anymore. Unlike Harvey, Apocalyptor did not like being dirty, therefore he usually tried to contact the mother ship and other life forms in outer space.  
"Well, at least it seems like the sun is slowly setting", the Key Master pointed out. Edna, who had been busy taking a good look at her pachyderm, raised her head and set her eyes to the endless sky. She noticed at once that the sun was quite low on the sky before she pondered how she missed it before, considering the red and orange glow everything and everyone was engulfed in. She knew it would not be long until the rescue mission started. Hopefully there would not be any competent guards in the asylum. Then she remembered hardly anyone there was competent.  
"We could slowly go to the asylum", Edna suggested. "By the time we reach the walls and barbed wire, it will be dark."  
"Well, the sooner we have this behind us, the better", the Key Master responded. "I don't fancy being in the village our dear Doctor Marcel lives in."  
"At least you and him weren't neighbors", the purple haired woman retorted, pointing at one of the neighbors' houses. She saw him looking at the house she pointed at.  
"Funny, I once broke in there and stole something to eat and drink", the green-skinned man noted. Edna arched her eyebrows.  
"Well, you can tell me all about this while we're ascending the hill to the place of nightmares", she retorted before making her way to the place she mentioned, with the Key Master in tow.

* * *

The final of the foosball tournament was perhaps the most exciting match in the short history of the tournament. The Ticket Inspector and Hoppy Hop moved their players so fast that these were only colorful blurs and the tiny ball moved so fast that one could lose track of it if they blinked. Both Hoppy Hop and the Ticket Inspector were drenched in sweat as though they were playing a real game of soccer in a desert. Some spectators even took a few sheets of papers to fan themselves with cool air. Tina suddenly imagined how they would all be dressed in fine, expensive clothes and the women would wear hats and hold actual fans as though they were all at the Royal Ascot – only that they were watching soccer instead of a horse race. She quietly giggled to herself at the picture, although no one seemed to notice. The majority was too engrossed with the match, only those who had lost track of the ball, Tina included, did not really pay attention to anything. However, even those patients could not tear their ocular organs away. The way the players were moved by the Ticket Inspector and Hoppy Hop was just too mesmerizing. Suddenly, half of the spectators cheered and the other half groaned. Hoppy Hop's bounces were nearly nonexistent and he hung his head while his opponent shouted a loud "YES!" and raised his arms. Even without King Adrian's announcement, everyone knew who won the tournament. Proud of his achievement with a toothy grin he normally did not display, the Ticket Inspector came forward to take his prize. His supporters cheered and whistled, drowning out the noises of disappointment of Hoppy Hop's fans. King Adrian congratulated the Ticket Inspector while passing the trophy on to him. He raised his prize, the cheering and whistling became louder to deafening proportions. Chances of people on different floors hearing them were exceptionally high. If this happened every time this tournament was to take place it would be advisable to invest money in earmuffs and earplugs.  
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NOISY RACKET!?"  
A seething Anes stood at the door. His nostrils flared, his eyes showed the murder he felt like committing. His mere presence was enough for every single person to fall silent. Compared to the previous volume, one could hear a pin drop.  
"Bed time! Now!", Anes angrily exclaimed, pointing out of the door. Murmuring in disappointment, the patients scuffed out with hanged shoulders and heads, only walking faster when Anes yelled at them to do so. Other employees waited for the inmates in the main room, where they divided them into two groups – male and female. Four guards were assigned for each group, with Anes among those escorting the women. He walked close to where Tina and Lilli were, smirking creepily at them. Both blondes were worried what it meant. Did he have perverted thoughts? Or was he mocking them because they were still stuck in this institution? It was hard to tell and, if they thought about this, they did not really want to know. Although, they did get to know what he thought since he whispered "you'll never get out of here" in an evil voice to them. They wished he would be anywhere but near them, preferably about to jump off a cliff.  
"Hurry up! You're slower than my one-legged grandma!", Anes yelled, slapping the woman in the potato sack on the back of her head. She and all the others hurried up, soon reaching the women's dormitories. They entered the dormitories to get their impersonal nightgowns and items for oral hygiene. One guard escorted three women to the bathroom facilities, where they showered, which only happened once per week as per rule, and brushed their teeth. The guard waited outside meanwhile. After the first three were done, it was the next three's turn and so on until every female was done. Then the guards left the area, closing and locking the grate separating their part of the floor with the rest. The same was also true for the male side and in both cases, it was expected that the inmates would get to bed and be out like a light immediately. However, since the majority of the patients were adults, with the hyperactivity of a ten year old who had too much sugar, it was next to impossible. So instead, they would play around in their dormitories or climb the chimney of the furnace when it was off – which was usually only in summer. But they had not been able to do the latter for quite some time. They could usually get there through the lobby of the rooms with solitary cells but those had been locked for ages and it did not seem like they would be reopened again any time soon. Rumor had it that the missing patients were in those cells, isolated and prohibited from having conversation with the others. Only condemned to have Doctor Marcel or one of his employees visiting them very rarely. Pushing up the daisies would be a much more pleasant fate compared to this. Nobody knew what was going on behind these closed doors, but it was the subject for a lot of speculations. One favorite seemed to be that there was a portal to an alternate dimension and another, less popular, theory was that they were doing labor for the doctor. But whatever the reason, it greatly limited the areas they all could be after a certain hour had passed.  
"This was an exciting tournament, wasn't it?", Petra asked her roommates' opinions. The response she received were agreements as well as shrugs and hesitating words of agreements. Nonetheless, it was enough to satisfy her but not to drop the subject, therefore starting a long-winded discussion about the foosball matches. Only those who were engrossed joined in while the other spoke about something else.  
"Do you suppose we will ever get out of here?", Lilli voiced her worries aloud while playing with a corner of her blanket. Tina furrowed her eyebrows, not knowing what to say. They knew they were just bait for Doctor Marcel to capture Edna as though she was a big fish and Tina and Lilli were the small fries.  
"Ah, you get used to living here, might find it fun too", a woman who wore her clothes the wrong way piped up. She played with a loose thread on her sleeve while adding: "'Sides, ya don't have to be embarrassed about anything around here."  
"You might think so, Rebecca, but we would rather be outside this building, where we're supposed to be", Tina retorted. She sighed and leaned against the window frame, taking in the view of the darkening sky just beyond the invisible barrier – so close, yet so far.  
"I just wish I had a plan how we can get outta here..."

* * *

Down in the village, in one of the many houses, were Amy, Anika, Gregor, Bianca and Sebastian sitting at the dinner table in the kitchen and assimilating food before they made their way to the asylum. Ben had already left for his shift and to get in position. Since they had agreed to wait for a while before following him to the asylum, they decided to eat something. Also, Gregor's stomach made it no secret that he was starving. So, they all sat together and consumed rolls and sausages with ketchup or mustard or both and a fruit salad for dessert. An outsider might think they were all so calm and collected but all five of them felt the same way – they were nervous. Everyone asked the same question to themselves – what if they failed? Would they also end up as prisoners in this horrible mental institution? What would their friends and family, especially Sebastian and Bianca's parents, think? There was just so much that could go wrong and yet, there was no way they were going to abandon their plan. They knew they would have to confess to Edna when her housemate would be gone for much longer than she was supposed to and risk her going back to the place she lost a decade of her life. Therefore, the five friends quickly finished their meal just so they could make their way to the institution as fast as possible.  
"Ready to go now? Does anyone have to use the bathroom before we leave?", Amy asked in a strong and clear voice. Although, if one listened closely, they could hear a hint of nervousness and fear in her voice. She tried to hide it the best she could, she could not let the others know how scared she was. It was her who told them about Tina's kidnapping as well as the capture of an old friend of Edna's; it was her who came up with a plan. She was the leader of this mission; she could not show any negative emotions she was feeling.  
"Sis, we all already emptied our bladder. We're as ready as we will ever be", Anika retorted in a calming voice, laying a comforting hand on her older sister's shoulder. Amy gave her a grateful smile before putting on collected face and looking at the others.  
"Well then, let's go and let's get it done with."  
Gregor, Bianca and Sebastian nodded with determined and brave faces. They left the house together and walked straight to Gregor's car. A moment later, the five friends were inside the vehicle and valiantly on their way to the mental institution high on a hill.

 _~Halfway Up The Hill~  
_ The car stood still in the middle of the street. Anika, Amy, Bianca and Sebastian stood in a circle around it while Gregor was rummaging in the trunk. Fortunately, the street was deserted; they were the only humans up and down this hill. The car was the only one as far as the eyes can see in this near darkness, albeit with a flat tire.  
"Damn! No spare tires!", Gregor exclaimed, slamming the trunk shut.  
"Really? How many times did I tell you to pack in at least one spare tire? And you still haven't done this?", Anika asked incredulously in a raised voice. Her boyfriend flashed her a sheepish smile. She sighed in exasperation. "Look, you call the towing service and wait for it here; the rest of us is going to walk the rest of the way."  
"One of us should wait here with him", Bianca piped up as Gregor took his phone out, walked a little away and did what his girlfriend instructed him to.  
"And who should wait with him?", Amy questioned. "It's bad enough that Gregor's missing from the plan but a second person?"  
"Thankfully we didn't conduct a plan where we need a specific person to be at a specific location at a specific time", Sebastian remarked, noting to himself that he said the word "specific" quite a lot in one sentence. "I'm sure it won't be so bad if one of us waits with Gregor. We just need to decide who."  
"Let's decide it with a round of Paper-Rock-Scissors", Bianca shrugged. The other three agreed with her and thus, a small match began.

* * *

Inside the very building the five friends were on their way to was Ben already in position. He secretly unlocked the backdoor for his girlfriend, her sister and their friends before he went upstairs to the surveillance room. Bladder was already there, a cup of water in one hand and his eyes not on the monitors but on the old television set, watching some cheaply made movie. Ben decided not to say anything about it; the less Bladder paid attention to the job, the better. The younger man put his derrière on the seating accommodation and set his own ocular organs on the monitors. It was only a matter of time until Amy and the others arrived. Hopefully, Anes and the other minions of Doctor Marcel would not prove to be a hindrance. It was a pity they were not small and yellow and spoke only gibberish – then they would be funny and much better looking.

* * *

Farther up the hill were two other people and a rag doll rabbit and a stuffed elephant walking the steep road to the asylum. If one would just take a look back, they would see one car and five people in the distance, though just barely as the sun disappeared more and more beyond the horizon by the minute. However, since the only direction their eyes were set at was what was in front of them, they remained unawares.  
They could already see the walls surrounding the premises, the barbed wires on top of those and the surveillance camera at the entrance. If they would get any closer, they would risk being caught on camera. Therefore, Edna and the Key Master and their stuffed companions hid behind a couple of bushes, looking for an alternate entrance.  
"The camera doesn't move. The most logical thing to do would be to keep to the left so that we're out of line", the Key Master whispered, keeping his eyes on the entrance. "When we reached the place behind the camera, we should go around the back to the backdoor your friend found. How did she even manage getting there without being caught on camera?"  
He turned his head when he asked the last question, his face showing curiosity and interest. Edna shrugged, making a clueless expression.  
"Ask me an easier question, she never told me. For all I know, she could have been caught on camera", she responded. The Key Master nodded in acknowledgement before sneaking out of the bushes, taking care of doing what he mentioned earlier. Edna and her two stuffed animals stayed in the bushes, her eyes flickering from the man to the camera and back again. She reckoned it would be better to wait until he was on the other side, maybe even until he gave her a sign. It could be her imagination, she could be impatient, but he needed incredibly long until he reached a spot behind the surveillance camera at the wall.  
"Man! Hurry up, you snail!", Harvey shouted. At times like these, Edna was glad only she could hear him talk, unless she pulled his string, which she never did for some reason, but she nevertheless glared reprovingly at him. He reciprocated with an innocent look.  
"What?"  
"Don't be mean, Harv", she hissed. "And you forget, we mustn't be seen. Or do you want to be stuck in a cell?"  
"No...", the blue lagomorph pouted. Edna scrutinized him for a minute longer before turning her attention back to the creeping Key Master. He was nearly at the spot behind the camera, so Edna found it was safe to follow him. She put her lagomorph and her pachyderm into her inventory and went the same way as the Key Master on light feet, like a cat. He was already at the wall, waiting for her. Despite knowing that the surveillance camera did not move, Edna kept glancing at it as though it would suddenly be pointed at her and alert Doctor Marcel of her presence. The fear she did not dare to voice aloud led her to sneaking a little faster than she would otherwise. Still, whether or not she hurried up did not matter soon when she reached the Key Master, who had been waiting for her. The two former inmates of the building beyond the walls shared a determined look. Words were not needed to let the other know they were thinking of the time they were prisoners, their eyes said it all.  
They walked around, with their hands on the walls in their search for the backdoor. By now, the sun had completely set, only minimal light from different sources was provided. Edna took her flashlight and let it illuminate their path. From what she could see in the light, there was no backdoor on this side of the wall. She and the Key Master continued creeping along the wall, around the corner until they found the backdoor and they realized they would have gotten there sooner if the camera would be directed to the other side and they could, therefore, sneak off to the right side. But since everything was set up so inconveniently, the two former patients had to take the long way.  
Edna stared at the metal door, wondering how she did not notice it all those years ago. Then she turned around, noticing another path, one for pedestrians, leading down to the village. She had completely forgotten about this path but one could hardly blame her. She walked this road only once and that was when she was seven years old. Nonetheless, she was glad to have found another way down, one where Doctor Marcel could not send any vehicles after them.  
"D'you reckon the door's locked?", Edna asked.  
"Well, only one way to check", the Key Master retorted and attempted to open the door. It did not budge. "What a surprise, it's locked."  
Edna did not miss the sarcasm his voice was oozing with the whole time. She rolled her eyes at him while taking out her hairpins. She picked out one and handed it to the Key Master.  
"Since you're known as the Key Master, I expect you to unlock this door", she said in an expecting voice. He looked at her weirdly, she half-expected he was going to say that he was unable to do this. However, he did turn around and began working on the door. Edna, meanwhile, leaned against the wall, taking in the lights of the village below. She could recognize the neon lights of the bar. How many people would be there and drink their brain cells and their vital organs away? Would the menu be more diverse than the one in the asylum? Edna actually reckoned so; otherwise the bar would be long closed down. She could also see the local supermarket in its last hours of opening time. The employees were most likely so tired that they could fall asleep standing.  
"Hey Edna?", Harvey piped up from her left hand he was dangling from. The young woman raised her arm and looked at him questioningly:  
"Yes Harv?"  
"How can you be so sure that he can unlock the door?"  
"Simple, he's known as the Key Master, keys unlock doors. Sounded like a logical conclusion to me. And he told me so."  
"Ah, now that makes sense."  
Edna gave her blue lagomorph friend a smile and then went back to looking at the village. More than a decade ago, everything seemed so big. Now, it all seemed so small it could be the hometown of some spiders.  
"There, the door's open", the Key Master announced, stepping back from it and admiring his handiwork. Then he turned his attention to Edna and gave her the single hairpin back. "But don't expect that I'll be your personal locksmith."  
"Don't worry, I won't", she retorted, pocketing the small item. Her companion gestured to her to walk through the door first, saying the two words "lady's first". She curtsied mockingly to him and entered the premises, thinking to herself how ridiculous they were behaving, even letting out a chortle.  
"Is something funny, Princess?", the Key Master, who had arrived just as she laughed, asked.  
"Oh, just thinking how ludicrous we're being", Edna grinned before dropping it. Then she went on in a more depressive voice: "I guess I just needed something to lift my mood."  
She felt how he took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Upon turning her head to look at him, she was met by sympathetic green eyes and the sympathetic smile he only had when he looked at her. If she were not so lost in his ocular organs, she would realize that the corners of the mouth only seemed to be pointed upwards when he gazed at her.  
"Being here makes you nervous, doesn't it?", he said in an understanding tone. Edna confirmed with a nod. "If it makes you feel any better, I feel the same."  
"Feel the same about what?", she asked, a slight note of panic in her voice. She did not reveal that she felt more than friendship towards him, did she?  
"About being nervous", he clarified. The sympathy in his face was replaced by curiosity as he raised his eyebrows at her. "What else did you think?"  
"Oh nothing of particular interest", Edna replied, chuckling sheepishly. She turned her attention away from the Key Master before she made an even bigger fool of herself. It was not easy to see anything on the property, except for a few outlines and a couple of illuminations from the inside of the building. She stepped forwards to it, noticing by two factors that the Key Master walked along with her; one, she could hear his footsteps alongside hers, and two, they were still holding hands. Letting go was currently the last thing on her mind. The knowledge that he was here with her and the feeling of it was a source of comfort for her. Only when she had to would she let go.  
As Edna got closer to the building, she could make out a familiar part of the premises – the Zen garden, to be more precise. For a moment, she wondered if the pattern she once made was still there but concluded that it was unlikely that it was still there after all these years. If Doctor Marcel's minions had not removed it, then the first rain after her escape. Nonetheless, from here on, she could still remember where what was and even walk the way – unless a few things were changed over the years.  
"If there's the Zen garden, then that means we just have to go closer to the window and go to the left", Edna recounted from her memories. "Let's just hope the door's unlocked."  
She led him past the Zen garden and window of the room where she once attended a therapy session and around the corner to the backdoor. She could see the garages the closer she got to the building and, she was not really sure, it seemed like the garages was larger than it had been when she broke out. The garage she found their getaway car in was closed, as was every other. Hopefully, this was not the case with the backdoor, Edna thought to herself as she pushed the handle down. To her surprise and amazement, it did open. Was luck on their side? Or was it a trap? Still, the only alternative would be the front door, where they would be caught in less than five seconds. She and the Key Master exchanged a look of skepticism before sneaking in. They glanced left and right, expecting to see one or more of Doctor Marcel's minions jumping out and throwing a fishnet over them. However, the hallway was deserted.  
"Let's first check the files, maybe we find out where exactly your friends are being held", the Key Master proposed in a whisper. "And maybe you can find something about yourself."  
"Agreed", Edna nodded before walking down the stairs to the basement. They turned left, jumped down a small set of stairs and walked through the first door they found. The first thing the two friends and the stuffed lagomorph saw was complete darkness.  
"Turn the lights on, you're closer to the switch", Edna ordered. A moment later, she and the Key Master were nearly blinded by the bright light. Edna blinked a few times and raised her hands to shield her eyes from the light. It took a moment for her to adjust to the brightness but once it did, she could confirm that, without a doubt, the archives looked the same they did before. She remembered reading through a handful of medical records of some patients, though only of those she met and knew. There were a lot more but she had not been in the mood to read them all and still was not. Besides, these records were not helpful in learning more about the patients, except if one wanted to know what their first pet was.  
"In there are files with exact locations of the patients' medical records", Edna stated, pointing at the cabinet on her and the Key Master's right-hand side. "But you only learn whether they were first or second or whatever in Physical Education class and what their first pet was."  
"Are you sure those are medical records and not attempts to fuck you over?", the Key Master retorted. Edna looked at him in fake shock:  
"My, what a vulgar expression! Didn't your mother teach that such words are inappropriate?"  
"I think I was playing hooky that day", her green-skinned friend smirked. Edna chortled. "But seriously, maybe we should see if we find a computer."  
"I could imagine there's one in the far back; I didn't look there at all when I skimmed through some of the records."  
No more words were needed to know what they were going to do next. Closing the door behind them, they stepped into the room for real. Edna turned to the left and led the Key Master past the many shelves to the other side of the room. If only one of them had thought of closing the door earlier, a young man whose face was covered with a paper bag would not have noticed them. The only reason Ruben spotted them was that he just left the furnace room and was about to turn a corner. But both Edna and the Key Master were blissfully unaware of his presence and therefore of the possible consequences.  
"Well, what do you know? A computer", Edna commented, gazing upon the electronic device she and her friend found in a corner on the other side of the room. It was so well-hidden that she half-expected it to be covered in dust and cobwebs.  
"This it is, the moment of truth", the Key Master stated while she booted the computer up. "If there's information about every patient, you might also find some about yourself."  
Edna acknowledged his words with a nod. She knew she would at last find out what Doctor Marcel did to her, aside from erasing her memories and attempting to rewrite her personality. Only several clicks separated her from the truth... and the requirement for a password.  
"Well, that was to be expected", Edna rolled her eyes and clicked on the 'hint' button. She was astonished to find that she actually knew the password. What a coincidence that she held a report about Goethe not too long ago and that she could still remember a lot of it! It was like Missus Rosefield knew she would need to know the name of Goethe's wife. With a satisfied smirk, Edna typed in 'christianevulpius', which gained her access to the data stored on the hard drive of the computer. The desktop had only two folders and the My Computer icon; the first folder was titled 'Regular Patients' and the second had the name 'Special Patients'. Thinking she had plenty of time, Edna clicked on the former only to realize that she needed a password there too. Was everything password protected? Fortunately, she figured it out pretty quickly after using the hint. This time, a discovery of Goethe's in 1784 was needed – the incisive bone. Once she gained access to the folder, she was met with a long list of documents, one for each patient. She never realized the asylum had that many.  
"How can he keep so many patients in here?", the Key Master wondered aloud, astonished by the amount of documents. "The asylum doesn't look _that_ big."  
"I... I don't know", a speechless Edna managed to choke out. Even Harvey was amazed; his eyes were about to pop out and in need to be sewed back on. The young woman changed the order so that those that had recently been changed were displayed on the top. Judging from only those, the number severely decreased to only a handful. However, the only name that was familiar to her was Peter, thus she opened his file first.  
"Do you need a piece of paper in case you need to take notes?"  
Edna swiveled around, thought for a second, and replied:  
"Yeah, you can find some sheets of paper in the recreation room. I have a ballpoint pen here, so no need for a pencil."  
"Alright, I'll be back."  
After receiving a hairpin, the Key Master left her alone with Harvey sitting on the desk, next to the monitor. Edna went back to the file she opened and began reading.

* * *

Unaware of the potential danger just around the corner, the Key Master went back the way he and Edna came from earlier, until he reached the backdoor. He stopped there and took out his map to make sure he did not misremember where the recreation room was. From the ground floor, he only needed to go up two floors and he was there. He doubted seriously he would encounter any patients there; it was such a late hour. Besides, the areas the inmates were permitted to be in were closed off and the laundry lift was not running at night. The Key Master was kind of glad that this was the case since that would spare him from seeing the fear and mistrust in their eyes. But he never found he could blame them for reacting like this, even if he did not know why. Perhaps Edna was going to find out when she read his file and she was sure to tell him. So, he pocketed his map and went on to the main area of the ground floor, immediately noticing that the asylum had changed over the years. Ramps also led the way upstairs and downstairs aside from steps. He wondered why. Did Doctor Marcel have a disabled patient? Maybe he should take a look at the files too when he returned. Wait a minute; was his house not disabled-adapted when he broke in about two months ago? Perhaps Doctor Marcel was the person who was disabled. It made more sense to the Key Master, who could not imagine the old man making his institution disability-friendly for his patients. With this in mind, he continued on upstairs with catlike steps.  
A grate was on his left-hand side on the second floor, this one separating the majority of the floor with the rest. The Key Master took the hairpin and, after some work, unlocked the grate. For the first time since he first ended up as a patient in the asylum, he set a foot into the recreation room, the hallway that led to the television room to be more precise. Double doors led to the main area that was in complete darkness, with the exception of the moon's light shining in. There was something creepy of such a normally loud and animated room being so quiet and empty. Nonetheless, the Key Master had no time to think of such trivialities. He was here to get a sheet of paper and not to imagine ghosts and zombies and the like lurking in the shadows. So, he walked through the other set of double doors on the other side of the main area and went through the single door to his left. The first thing the Key Master noticed upon entering the arts and crafts room was the disgusting stench of puke. Someone obviously did not make it to the bathroom, he thought to himself. The second thing he noticed was the silhouette of the replica of the master key in front of the window. He decided to look for the sheets of paper in the dark, in case somebody in the surveillance room one floor above him would notice a room that was supposed to be empty lit. He guided himself with his hands and the silhouettes he could barely see in the darkness. Mumbling to himself that he wished he had asked Edna for her flashlight, he searched with his hands for paper. He had to be careful to not knock something over or off. He did not want any of the employees or patients to know at least one intruder was here and he did not have the time to tidy everything up. After several minutes of groping, he felt with his hands what he was looking for. On top of them was a cardboard box full of art supplies, which the Key Master moved onto the floor. Then he took one piece of paper before deciding to take a few more, thinking it was better to have too many of those than too little to himself. He stored them into his inventory, bent down and placed the cardboard box back to where it was before.

* * *

While the Key Master was away, Edna used her time to read about a couple of other patients. First, she read more about Peter and learned his last name was Gadwall. No wonder he was always so depressed. Who would not be with a name like that? It probably had to be the most ridiculous surname she had ever heard of. She also read about a man around the Key Master's age called Shaun Riek, who she quickly realized was the guy in the corner of the laundry room on the third floor. The one who always only shrieked when she talked to him and showed something to him. Other people she read about was about a girl known as 'Tiger Head', whose real name was Elena Wolff, and a woman named Miranya, after searching for patients who came into the mental institution after her escape – Tina and Lilli were also listed there. Edna had the feeling she heard the name Miranya before. She left the files open in case she wanted to take notes. After going over those files, Edna opened the second folder only to have to type in another Goethe-related password.  
"What is it with Doctor Marcel and Goethe? Did he love him?", Edna pondered aloud.  
"I thought he only loved himself", Harvey remarked. "Or dead psychologists."  
"Or he chose these passwords to throw people off", Edna retorted, typing in the password. The list of special patients was much smaller, consisting only of a file titled 'The Key Master'. Edna furrowed her eyebrows in puzzlement, having expected a file bearing her name too. Was it perhaps among the regular patients? She moved the cursor to the still open folder with the much longer list and searched for a file with her name. To her astonishment and bafflement, the search proved to be fruitless. Edna simply did not understand this, she could not. She had expected to find a big file about herself, considering Doctor Marcel's obsession with her but nothing! If she did not know it any better, she would think she was never a patient of this asylum of hell. Maybe information about her was stored somewhere else. Yeah, this had to be it, Edna thought to herself while also deciding to open the Key Master's file. All she got was a split second view of it before all she could see was blackness.

* * *

Behind the unconscious Edna stood Ruben with a pipe in his hands, which was raised to his lips. He had taken his paper bag off, revealing he looked more like his father than Alfred did – even the same eye was damaged – just so he could blow an anesthetic dart at her. Earlier, after having seen her and her companion in the doorway leading to the archives, he snuck of to where the blowpipes and a box if darts were kept and stole them. Then he returned and held the fort until he saw the man leave on his own, without her. That was when he snuck into the archives and knocked Edna out. Letting the blowpipe drop and hiding his face under his paper bag again, he picked the unconscious woman up and threw her over his shoulder. She was heavier than he thought but it did not matter. His father would surely be proud of him for having caught Edna Konrad. Perhaps he would finally accept Ruben as his son and a worthy offspring. Perhaps he would forget that his methods to raise children never worked on Ruben. This was that mattered to him. He carried her out of the archives and was about to bring her upstairs when he heard someone approaching. Worried and fearing it might be her companion, he rushed to the other direction and hid behind the corner where graffiti of his father decorated the wall. Ruben was astonished that it had not been removed yet. He listened for the footsteps and also looked around the corner, confirming it was indeed the man who came along with Edna. He waited until the man entered the archives before he rushed through the basement up to the ground floor, where the backdoor was located. Opposite of it was the door leading to the kitchen, which was currently devoid of any human life. Ruben decided to go through the kitchen and the cafeteria, where he put Edna down on the floor. He went back to the previous room and peeked through the window of the door, certain her companion would run past any moment now. And surely, he did run past these doors only a couple of minutes later. There was not much time, so Ruben returned to the cafeteria and picked Edna, who was still unconscious, up. He went to the main area of the ground floor and hurried upstairs to the top of the tower. It was not easy because of her weight and because he had to be careful that this man was not going to spot them. Also, there was always the risk of her waking up but this was the least of his worries. He had some more darts in his pockets; he could always knock her out again.  
On his venture to the top of the tower, to his father's office, Ruben did spot the green-skinned twice right ahead of him. Both times, he hid behind a potted plant or in a nearby room. Ruben turned around after silently closing the door to find himself face to face with countless monitors as well as the back of Bladder's head. From what the young man could see, he was too busy watching some cheap movie to pay attention to the monitors. Well, normally there was hardly anything going on at this late hour. However, Bladder really should set his eyes on the monitors, considering that two people broke in. Speaking of two, should there not be a second person in here? Ruben looked around for a sign of the television watching man's colleague. He was not sick, was he? Was that guy perhaps only using the lavatory? Or did his father want to speak with him? Well, Ruben did not dwell too long on this. He left the door ajar and peeked out to make sure it was safe to continue on his way. Edna's partner, who had gone upstairs, ran back down and rounded the corner on the other end of this floor. Sensing it was his chance; Ruben rushed out of the surveillance room, Edna still over his shoulder, and ran the final set of stairs up to the top floor. However, he spotted René sitting on a chair in front of the cell door but fortunately for Ruben, the lanky man was too engrossed with his tablet. Dad would surely not like this, Ruben thought as he crept past René and around the corner. Now only a straight line and he reached Doctor Marcel's office. He knocked on the wooden door.

* * *

Ben knew it would still be some time before Amy and her sister and friends would arrive. Nonetheless, he kept his ocular organs on the monitors in case they would come through the back door. Once in a while, he glanced at his colleague and shook his head at him. It was amazing that Bladder still kept his job but Ben should not complain. The plan Amy had thought up would fail if Bladder would pay attention to the monitors instead of the television. Well, he usually did so but could be easily distracted by a show or movie on television. It was fortunate it was the case this night; otherwise he would need to get him to drink more water than everybody else in this building put together and get him to use the bathroom. It was much easier this way.  
"Anything interesting happening?", Bladder asked, not turning away from his movie. Ben scanned the monitors before replying:  
"Nah, just a normal boring d –"  
He fell silent, having just seen a stranger on the third floor. He watched him picking the lock to the recreation room as he finished his sentence:  
"– day... uh, I mean night."  
"Ah yes, good to know", his overweight colleague responded, somewhat dismissively. Ben paid him no heed; he was too busy watching this strange man on the third floor. Why did he want to break into the recreation room? And why did he not turn on the lights once he was in there? There was no way that guy could see in the dark, unless he had some cat genes in him and Ben did not think this was the case. But he noticed it was difficult, almost impossible, to watch the man doing whatever he was doing. Perhaps this was why he left the lights out; perhaps this guy was aware there were security cameras all over the place. Ben kept watch on the spot he last saw the stranger, waiting for his return. Of course he remembered to look at the other areas, in case Amy and the others had arrived. However, every time he looked for them, he could not see them. Ben was slowly getting worried; they should be here by now. Maybe he should call his girlfriend on her phone...  
Ben just made the decision when he noticed the stranger leaving the recreation room with several sheets of paper in his hand. Ben frowned, wondering why that guy needed these. Was he going to make origami and paper planes? If this was the case, he could have bought paper in a store – unless he was also one of the inmates of this institution and Ben was not even sure he was. He had never seen this guy before- But he could not deny that there was a possibility that the stranger became a patient some time during the day.  
"Hey Ben, now that your girl's gone for some time, why don't you join me and René for a game of poker tomorrow?", Bladder offered, wheeling his chair around to look at Ben, who surreptitiously glanced at the television and saw it was commercial break. The younger man's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Never did Bladder invite to anywhere or for anything before. It was usually just him, René and Babbitt.  
"You never invited me to join you guys, are you sick?", Ben remarked. "And, what about your girlfriend... what's her name again?"  
"Tamara", Bladder helped him remember. "She doesn't mind it if I hang out with the guys."  
"I see, but still why are you inviting me along?", Ben inquired.  
"Thought you could use some company", his nearly bald colleague shrugged.  
"Hm, I'll think about it. I'll tell you my decision later, okay?", Ben replied, to which Bladder nodded and turned back to his movie. Still astounded about the invitation, Ben looked back to the monitors, expecting to see Amy and the others by now. But there was still no sight of them. Did something happen? With the excuse of having to use the bathroom, he took his cell phone and left the surveillance room. Bladder mumbled an unintelligible response while waving his hand in acknowledgement. Ben was not quite sure whether or not he had heard him but did not care. He rounded a corner and walked up to the window next to a potted plant, where he stared out in the darkness before picking out Amy's number in his contact list. He pushed the call button and held his phone up to his ear.  
"Yes?", he heard her reply after a few seconds.  
"Hey, um, I just wanted to ask where you guys are... I would've expected y'all ages ago", Ben replied in a half-whisper.  
"Gregor's car has a flat tire and he has no spare. He and Bianca are waiting for the towing service, the rest of us is walking all the way up to the asylum", his girlfriend explained.  
"Oh, I see... but what I don't see is why Bianca is waiting with Gregor."  
"She lost in Rock-Paper-Scissors."  
"Oh..."  
Amy went on to tell him that they did not want for Gregor to wait alone, which was why they played Rock-Paper-Scissors, and she also told Ben she, Anika and Sebastian were almost there. Ben responded with the mention that the backdoor was already unlocked before hanging up. He walked away from the window and the plant, about to turn the corner, when he spotted a young man whose face was obscured by a paper bag carrying a young woman over his shoulder. Ben frowned. This had got to be his weirdest shift ever...

* * *

With the sheets of paper in his inventory, the Key Master returned to the archives, pondering to himself whose files Edna might have read during his absence. When he left, she had started reading Peter's and she did meet a couple of inmates the day she escaped. He could imagine she read all their files as well as his. Wonder if my birth name is in my file, the Key Master thought to himself. He might know soon, seeing he just entered the archives.  
"Princess, I'm back!", he announced his return. Silence... "Princess?"  
Still silence. Feelings of worry and dread began to surge through his body. He called for her a third time but no reply. The Key Master hurried up, half-walking and half-running to where he left Edna only stopping when he reached the corner with the computer. But all he could find was the aforementioned electronic device with Harvey leaning against the monitor but with a lack of Edna anywhere nearby. He looked around, spotting a blowpipe in the floor. It reminded him of what people living in the jungle used to shoot poisoned darts at their victims. His eyes widened, fearing the worst. He dropped the sheets of papers, they all flying slowly and gently down, and rushed out of the archives. His first instinct was to run upstairs, which he did. He hurried through every floor, even taking a look in some of the rooms. Well, those he was sure would have neither any employees nor any inmates staying in there. But no matter where he looked, no sign of Edna. Where could she be? On the topmost floor of the tower? This would not surprise him, recalling the blackmail DVD he and she watched just two days ago. Doctor Marcel did want to capture her and there was a possibility that one of his minions found her while he was gone. Although he could hardly imagine why they would need to use darts and a blowpipe...  
The Key Master almost reached the top floor, noticing on his way up that the whole building was now accessibly designed, only one set of stairs and he was at his destination. However, he only managed to get a view of the area in front of Edna's former cell where he spotted a guard he hardly knew. Tall, lanky and with his sideburns, the Key Master only knew one thing about him. That guy was the newbie around the time of the big escape. He was engrossed with a flat object on his lap. This could be the Key Master's opportunity to sneak past him but what if he was noticed by that guard? He could not risk being caught. If he were, who would save Edna as well as her two friends? No, he had to try to find another way and therefore, he rushed back downstairs in hopes of finding something that could help him. His way down led him to the floor where grates separated the inmates' dormitories from the rest of the floor. He considered asking them for help but quickly dismissed the idea. They would hardly believe him, much less trust him. Nobody who was an inmate in this mental institution liked him, except Edna. He had to do this on his own. Before he left, His eyes fell on the door behind which the cell he spent so many years of his life in. Was the cell still empty or was there another patient who was as dangerous as him? But even if he was a little curious, it was not important. Therefore, he stepped away from the grate and tried to find another way to Edna.

* * *

"Hey Dad."  
Doctor Marcel groaned inwardly. Ruben was the last person whose company he needed. The old man turned around with his wheelchair, glaring at his good for nothing son.  
"What is it, Ruben?", he asked snappishly. He knew what it was the moment he took a good look at Ruben, noticing a body over his shoulder. "Who's this?"  
His son gave a non-verbal answer by placing the person somewhat roughly on the floor. Doctor Marcel scrutinized the body, noting it was a female. His only working eye widened when he realized who this was.  
"But this... this couldn't possibly be Edna, could it?"  
She groaned and stirred as though his voice was an alarm clock and woke her up. The young female sat up and took groggily her surroundings in. The more she saw of her surroundings, the more alarmed her face became until she realized who was with her.  
"Hello Edna", Doctor Marcel smirked evilly at her. He saw her mouth widely opening in a silent scream and crawling backwards away from him only to bump into Ruben's legs. Slowly she looked up and yelped upon seeing him. Ruben seized her and tried to hold her still, despite her struggling.  
"Good work, Ruben", Doctor Marcel praised him.  
"Thanks Dad", the young man with the obscured face replied.  
"Dad!?", Edna repeated in astonishment but she was ignored.  
"What shall I do with her?", Ruben questioned as though Edna had never interrupted them. Doctor Marcel turned his wheelchair around while looking around his office. There had to be something he could use to incarcerate her, a rope or a hammer or... His eye fell on the closet. He recalled how he told Anes that he paid her and Alfred's teacher Mister Hornbush to disadvantage her in school and lock her in the closet whenever she disturbed class. He had noticed how she warily glanced at closets as time went on. Of course, he never told Mattis that his daughter was afraid of closets. Why should he?  
"Lock her in there", Doctor Marcel replied, nodding towards the closet in the corner of this room. Ruben acknowledged it with a simple "okay" and dragged the still struggling Edna to the piece of furniture. He threw her into it and closed the doors while Doctor Marcel took the key for the closet out from his drawers. The exceptionally good-tempered man gave his oldest son the key, having him lock the closet doors. Doctor Marcel pocketed the key after getting it back. Edna pounded and screamed on the other side, begging to be let out.  
"Oh no, little girl. This time you won't escape me. This time you won't be able to resist my therapy. This time I will correct your personality", Doctor Marcel whispered maliciously through the keyhole. Edna's silence on the other side had something of fright, much to his satisfaction. He moved away from the closet and towards the office door, signaling to Ruben to follow him. There was something he needed to begin with his therapy on his prisoner but instead of letting someone else get it for him; he opted to get it himself. It was not like she could escape so easily.  
"Um Dad, you should know that she's here in company of some man", Ruben spoke up. Doctor Marcel turned his head and stared at his son. Who would get along so well with her that he would accompany here? Edna did not have a boyfriend, did she? But that was utterly nonsense. No man would ever develop feelings for such an untamable girl. Chances of even Ruben finding a partner for life were much higher than that.  
"And who, pray tell, is here with her?", the old man questioned.  
"Dunno, all I can tell is that his skin and hair have a greenish tint", Ruben answered with a shrug. This little piece of information was all the doctor needed. So, these two were still in contact with each other. He would have thought they lost sight of each other but it seemed he was mistaken.  
"The Key Master", Doctor Marcel said more to himself than to his son.  
"Dad?"  
"One of the former inmates. A dangerous man, which was why we kept him in a solitary cell. That is, until Edna freed him too", Doctor Marcel explained. "You know of Anes's darts, don't you?"  
"Yes."  
"Use them to knock him out should you see him. I will order Anes to look for him too", Doctor Marcel instructed. He saw Ruben nodding before the young man ran off, probably getting a blowpipe and the anesthetic darts. Doctor Marcel continued rolling in his wheelchair to his destination but had to stop after several meters. He did not like what he saw and that was René playing with his tablet.  
"René!", the doctor snapped, raising his voice. The lanky man gave a start so that his glasses hung askew "Didn't I tell you that tablets and the Internet are prohibited during working hours?"  
"Y-yes sir", he stuttered, turning his device off. "S-sorry sir."  
Doctor Marcel glared at him for a few more seconds before continuing his way downstairs.

* * *

Ben had long returned to the surveillance room, so the area around the corner one floor below Doctor Marcel's office was devoid of any human life... until the Key Master hid there five minutes ago. He was about to try to sneak past the guard with the sideburns when he heard somebody coming down. Thinking fast he fled and spied around the corner until the coast was clear. A man with a paper bag over his head ran past. The Key Master raised his eyebrows. Was that guy so ugly that he had to hide his face? He was about to come out of his hiding place when he heard Doctor Marcel yelling at some man named René. Probably that guard up there, the Key Master thought to himself. He saw the grumpy old man coming downstairs, noticing two important things. One, he was in a jovial mood and two, he was in a wheelchair. That would explain why the whole asylum was now disabled-adapted. The Key Master wondered to himself how this happened. Then he remembered he can imitate the doctor's voice extraordinarily well. He had not used this talent for so long that he briefly forgot about it. So, he waited another minute and then walked to the bottom of the stairs.  
"René, I need you get me a cup of tea from the kitchen!", the Key Master called in his Doctor Marcel voice.  
"But what about the loonies in the cell?", he called back. The Key Master was momentarily stunned. One cell and more than one patient in there? Did the number of patients increase so much that several had to share a solitary cell?  
"No back talk! I have Bladder guard them while you're gone", the Key Master responded. "Now hurry up!"  
"Okay!"  
The green-skinned man listened for René getting up and coming to the stairs, hurrying back to the place around the corner when he heard him coming closer. He waited until René ran past him to the lower floors and seized his chance getting up to the topmost floor of the tower. The first thing he spotted was the uncomfortable looking green chair the lanky guard sat on right in front of a metal door. But no time to open the small window and see who was behind it. Edna was more important. So, the Key Master hurried around another corner and down the hallway until he reached the far end. He turned to his left and pushed the handle down, sighing in relief that it was not locked. But when he entered the office, he had expected Edna to be tied to a chair or be tied up and knocked out but it was neither of those. In fact, the Key Master did not see her anywhere but he heard a loud pounding and her voice yelling to be let out. His green eyes fell on the closet in the corner. He walked over to the piece of furniture and tried to open it, finding it locked. Remembering he still had a hairpin with him, he used it to unlock and open the closet door. For a split second, he saw Edna's frightened face before she threw her arms around him and pressed her body close against his. The Key Master's eyes widened.  
"Thank you for getting me out of there", her voice was muffled by her face being pressed into his shoulder. He snaked one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder so that he could stroke her hair. He could not deny that he liked this closeness and that he liked holding her like this. It gave him a bit of normalcy, which he did not have for so long. Edna was the first person who made him feel like a normal human and not like some lunatic psycho, even though it took a while before this happened.  
"Let's get out of here before the doctor comes back", the Key Master suggested. Edna nodded in agreement and they hurried out of the room. They ran through the hallway and two flights of stairs when they spotted the man with the paper bag at the bottom of the stairs. Fortunately, he did not seem to have noticed them, so they could quickly get away from the top of the stairs.  
"In there!", Edna breathed, indicating at a door right next to a window. The Key Master tried to open it, finding it locked. But he did not think much about it as he produced the hairpin from his pocket and picked the lock. Not long afterwards, they could enter the room and he found himself staring at a collection of toys, pictures and flowers as well as two lit candles.  
"You didn't lead us into Doctor Marcel's private room, did you, Edna? Are those baby teeth?", the Key Master questioned, sounding incredulous at the second question, after she closed the door behind them. The young woman took her time to take in her surroundings. In the orange light of the candles, he could see her smiling in a mix of nostalgia and sadness. She kneeled down in front of the kite and touched it gently as though it was the most fragile object in the world. She did the same with the bicycle, letting a sad sigh out before she rose back on her feet and went to take a look at the picture gallery. A quiet sound of surprise escaped her lips the moment she set her eyes on these photos.  
"What is it?"  
"Seems that old man has added a couple of more pictures into his gallery", Edna answered. She pointed at three different pictures – one was of a baby, another of an ugly boy taking dancing class and the last one was of the same boy building a snowman with...  
"Is that snowman wearing a tie!?", the Key Master asked incredulously.  
"Yep. But what I actually wanted to say is that these three pictures and this big one over there", Edna indicated at a portrait of this boy right above the altar, "were the only ones in here when I first entered the room."  
The Key Master studied the photos, which all showed the little boy in various stages of his life.  
"He wasn't very fortunate with his looks, was he? He looks like a frog", he remarked. Edna chortled.  
"Well, I did have a lot of frog and toad related nicknames for him", she said. She looked at the photos again and went on: "Alfred might have been Doctor Marcel's son and a very annoying and obnoxious individual but he was not bad at all. Although I don't know if I'm saying this because you generally talk positive about the deceased..."  
She sighed and leaned her head against the Key Master's shoulder.  
"I miss him...", Edna admitted. The Key Master felt something weird in his chest, something he had felt over the last few weeks, perhaps even months, whenever another man showed interest in her or whenever she spoke affectionately of another male. But he never let it show, although his skin tended to take on a greener shade.  
"I remember most of the situation these photos were taken", Edna remarked fondly. She pointed at one where Alfred was at the beach building a sandcastle. "This was made when Mattis took us to the beach. That sandcastle was destroyed five minutes after this picture was taken."  
She pointed at more, where the boy let his kite fly or when he rode his bicycle, where he went sledding or ice skating or other winter activities or where he played in a sandbox in a backyard and so many more. Edna had a story for most pictures, only not knowing anything about it when she was not present at the time. But those she could tell the Key Master about the story behind the individual photo, she spoke with affection in her voice, he noted. Although there were a couple of instances she sounded displeased.  
"Hey, there are none of me!", Edna suddenly exclaimed. "And they made plenty of pictures with me and Alfred!"  
"You forget that this is Doctor Marcel who decorated this room. Frankly, I can't imagine he would put pictures of you in a room to remember his son", the Key Master pointed out.  
"Good point. I bet that old man didn't know most of these marbles were mine", Edna responded, pointing to the jar full of marbles behind safety glass. Among the jar were a toy car and a yo-yo. Above these toys was an eyeless teddy bear and above this was a homework planner.  
"See this signature on the edge of this homework planner?", Edna asked. The Key Master leaned closer to the object, spotting a scrawly "M. Konrad".  
"Yes, I do. What about it?"  
"I forged this signature. When I entered this room for the first time, Harvey tempomorphed me to the past and showed me how he taught me to forge signatures. He told me I became so good I could do any signature just by looking at it."  
"And yet, the only ones you mentioned you could do were the bartender's and Doctor Marcel's."  
"Well, I need to _see_ the signature to forge it. And theirs were the only ones I found and knew who they belonged to."  
The Key Master watched her taking another look at the memorabilia of her childhood friend. However, her nostalgia filled face changed into confusion as she gazed at the teddy bear.  
"Huh? Where are Poozie's eyes?", she wondered aloud.  
"What?", the Key Master was confused.  
"Well, Poozie had glowing red... eyes...", she trailed off in her explanation, staring at the teddy bear but not really seeing it. Her mouth was open, her eyebrows were furrowed, and she looked like she had an epiphany. "Wait a minute... Harvey had the same eyes a few years ago..."  
"What are you talking about? What do you mean?"  
The Key Master felt like he was a stranger among a group of lifelong friends, who could mention one thing and everyone but him would immediately know what the person was talking about. Ever since they stepped into this room, he felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment. Only when Edna explained the story behind something did he feel involved.  
"Well, I had to run from the police not long after I pushed Doctor Marcel down the stairs –"  
"Which would explain why he's bound in a wheelchair now", the Key Master interrupted. Edna narrowed her eyes at him.  
"Yeah, it does. Anyway, can I go on? Well, while I was running from the police, I lost Harvey and about anything I had with me. Years later, I was captured by Doctor Marcel's minions, alongside a policeman named Gerret. Lilli saved us and she had Harvey with her but he looked and behaved differently. He had glowing red eyes and listed off lots of prohibitions, like don't drink alcohol or don't play with fire. Lilli later told me that Doctor Marcel hypnotized her with him and that Harv always suddenly appeared out of nowhere when she tried to do something she shouldn't. I didn't realize it before but only now I noticed that his eyes and Poozie's eyes were identical..."  
Edna fell silent again, frowning at Poozie. The Key Master, who recalled that she once told him about Harvey having red eyes and being used to hypnotize a little girl, swore he could see the wheels turning in her head.  
"I think Doctor Marcel did something to Poozie's eyes so that he could use them as hypnotizing device and sewed them on Harvey after he found him", she concluded. She looked up and turned around, looking questioningly at the Key Master. "Speaking of Harvey, where is he?"  
Outwardly, the Key Master looked as calm and collected as he usually did but on the inside, he was slapping himself for forgetting and leaving the blue rag doll rabbit in the archives. He had been more concerned about finding her than to care about the lagomorph. This was what he told Edna in explanation. She listened with arched eyebrows and her arms crossed over her chest.  
"Well, I think I can't blame you. I was suddenly g –", she stopped talking and stared with wide eyes at the door. The Key Master wheeled around, seeing how the handle was being pushed down. His first instinct was to hide Edna, so he moved his body to cover her. Only her head peeked over his shoulder. The door opened and revealed a man who looked to be approximately around the Key Master's age. The green-skinned man tilted his head and looked quizzically at the stranger. Judging from the whispered "huh", Edna had never seen him before either. The stranger raised his hands.  
"I'm not here to harm you or anything. My name is Ben", the stranger said calmly. He opened his mouth to go on but was interrupted by Edna:  
"Ben? As in Amy Straube's boyfriend?"  
She stepped forward so that she stood right next to the Key Master, who stared alternatively at her and this Ben guy and back again. Once again, he felt like he missed a lot of things.  
"Yes, I am, and I'm here to warn you", Ben said and went on to explain everything. He told them how his girlfriend actually encountered Tina and Lilli and figured Doctor Marcel's plan out; how she told Edna's other friends about this but not wanting to tell Edna herself about this while being under the impression that she did not know it yet. He concluded with telling them how they were on their way to the asylum to save Edna's two friends and that Doctor Marcel had ordered his employees to look for Edna on every floor.  
"So, what are we supposed to do?", Edna questioned. The Key Master opted to not contribute anything to it, he was not sure if he could trust Ben. He might be the boyfriend of a friend of Edna's but he was nonetheless one of Doctor Marcel's employees.  
"Well, perhaps we could distract them by letting all the other patients run around freely", Ben suggested. "That way, you two and your friends can escape without being noticed."  
"And why should we trust you?", the Key Master asked, aware he sounded rather rude. Both Edna and Ben looked at him. "I mean, why should we believe you really want to help us? You're one of Doctor Marcel's minions after all."  
"Key Master!", Edna admonished him warningly but was pretty much ignored by the two males.  
"I might work here as do many other people but most of us think he should forget about it. But they're too scared since he has too much influence over the town, so they do what he orders them to", Ben explained as though he was talking about the weather. "Even if it means kidnapping."  
"And we can really trust you?"  
"You have my word."  
The Key Master eyed him skeptically before turning to Edna, silently asking for her opinion.  
"I think we can trust him", she said with a hint of finality in her voice. She looked at the green-skinned man as if she was daring him to object. He decided it was better to not say anything that could make her angry. Thus, he nodded.  
"Alright then, I go gather the inmates, you –", Edna looked at the Key Master, "– go get Harvey and you, Ben, go back to wherever you were before."  
The men muttered words of acknowledgements and Ben even handed them two copies of the master key, one for each, he fished out of the trash ages ago. Then, without further ado, they all left the room to go to their respective stations.

* * *

Edna watched these two leaving the floor, the Key Master down and Ben up. Before the former walked off, she had told him where to meet her and the other patients. She remained on this floor and unlocked the grate next to the door the three of them had gone through. Her first destination was the room that she knew was something like the antechamber to the solitary cell that once contained the Key Master. She had no idea if there was somebody in there but it was better to be sure than to forget a patient – hopefully one whose first act in freedom would not be to cause an accident. Edna approached the glass through which she had her first communications with the Key Master after she turned on the light. Her jaw dropped when she saw who was lying on the floor curled up to a ball and sleeping amidst countless blue rag doll rabbits which all looked like Harvey, albeit eyeless. She knew the dozing man; she had tried to hold conversations with him but the only sounds leaving his mouth were hardly any words. The unexpected light woke the guy, whose name she learned just this night was Shaun Riek, up. He slowly sat up looking as though he was drunk.  
"Hello", Edna greeted the man in the gray jump suit. He stared at the window for a few seconds before jumping probably a meter into the air and shrieking. Well, he had not lost this part of his personality, Edna thought to herself rolling her eyes. Knowing it would be senseless to try talk to him, she went away from the window and instead unlocked and opened the metal door. But when she looked into the cell, she saw he had not moved a single centimeter since she woke him up.  
"Come on, get outta here! Go to the recreation room. I will meet you there with the other patients", Edna instructed. She expected another shriek from him or any other comical noise but certainly not the way he reacted to her instructions. Shaun did neither of those – he nodded silently and walked past her out of the room, hopefully going to the recreation room. Edna took a moment to take a look at the cell, feeling uncomfortable by the countless eyeless Harvey doppelgangers. She saw a cardboard box in a far corner, though she did not dare to approach it and see what was in there. The fear of someone slamming and locking the door behind her was just too big. Thus she removed herself from the cell, turned off the light and left the room, closing and locking the door. Her next destination was the dormitory at the end of the hallway, where she met the Siamese twins Hoti and Moti years ago. A part of her hoped she would see them there again but she knew it was unlikely. Last time she saw them, they relaxed in Doctor Marcel's limousine they had stolen after the Key Master caused a car crash. Since then, she had never seen or heard from them again. She did not know where they were or what they did; she only knew that she would like to see them again.  
Edna entered the dormitory and, not caring whether they were all fast asleep or not, turned on the light. She watched them as they groaned and slowly woke up and saw a couple of unfamiliar faces. One of them even spoke in a language she could not understand; she was not even sure if this was an actual language. Then she realized she only saw men in this room. Were the dormitories gender-segregated, Edna pondered before speaking up in a raised voice:  
"Wake up, men! Your presence is required in the recreation room!"  
She heard some of them mumbling in confusion upon hearing her voice, although she was not sure whether it was because they recognized her voice or because they wondered who the stranger was. One after another, the male patients, all dressed in the same impersonal nightgowns, properly woke up and sat up in their beds. Edna noticed King Adrian, who even wore his bucket of a crown in bed, paling slightly the moment he saw her.  
"But... this can't be! If this isn't Edna! I haven't seen you since the great breakout!", he said in his usual booming voice, although there was a hint of uncertainty barely noticeable. Edna wondered if he was afraid she had come to claim her throne.  
"Glad to know I'm still remembered", the young woman remarked. "Now come on! Go to the recreation room, I'll meet you all there with the others."  
She spoke so that there was no room for discussion. Some did not hesitate to do what she told them, others were very sluggish in their movements. Edna snapped at them to hurry up and suddenly, they moved like somebody had pushed a fast forward button. Once they were all gone, she left the dormitory and went down the hall until she walked through the grate. She closed and locked it, making it appear as though no one had gone through. The other end of the floor looked exactly like the one Edna just came through. However, even if she had never been there before, she knew there were other inmates behind the doors. So, it was the same procedure as on the other end. Open and unlock grate and go through the first door after unlocking it too. The room Edna found herself in was identical to the one she found Shaun Riek in. Curious as to who or if there was even a person in solitary here too, she approached the viewing glass. A red haired woman leaned with wide open eyes against the padded wall, staring at the ceiling. She too was among countless eyeless Harvey dolls.  
"Uh hi?", Edna greeted the woman unsurely. The red haired woman turned her attention to Edna, her face showing a mix of curiosity and worry.  
"I've never seen you here before but I'm not allowed to talk with living people, only to dead people", she said. "Well, at least I think I can... Doctor Marcel never said anything about the deceased."  
Edna looked at her strangely. What was this woman talking about? Edna did not hesitate to ask her this.  
"Oh, I'm Miranya, I'm a Medium", the woman explained. "I can communicate with the dead."  
This little sentence caused Edna to listen attentively. Could she perhaps be her key, her chance to talk to Mattis and Alfred one last time and apologize to them?  
"Can you let others communicate with the deceased?", Edna inquired, almost pressing her nose flat against the glass.  
"I don't know, I never tried. Some of the deceased wanted me to relay a message to their still living loved ones but never has a person who's still alive asked me if they could speak with the dead", Miranya explained. "But if I could to let you talk with the dead, I would try to."  
"What's stopping you?"  
"I need a campfire among other things to do this..."  
"If I help you escape the asylum, will you let me talk with the dead?", Edna questioned urgently. Miranya looked at her weirdly but nonetheless nodded. Edna moved away from the window and went to the metal door, unlocking and opening it. She bent her upper body into the cell and waved Miranya over to her. The red headed woman rose to her feet and approached her.  
"Come with me", Edna told her. There was no hesitation when Miranya ran past her out of the cell, cheering in a low voice how she would not have to sew any more blue rabbits. Edna, who closed the door behind her, wondered how she would react if she saw Harvey. She indicated to her new partner to follow her as she left this room too. These two women went to the end of the hallway to the dormitory where Edna reckoned were the female patients. Like before with the males, she woke them all up by raising her voice. As she spoke, she noticed a shadow by the window coming closer to her. Her red headed partner turned the light on, revealing that the shadow was in fact...  
"Tina!"  
"Edna!"  
"Miranya!"  
"Little girl!?"  
"Honestly, are we going to recreate that one scene from _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_?", Tina remarked while Lilli approached them. The other women, who were still in bed, looked at them all with curiosity and interest in their faces.  
"Oh Edna, you shouldn't have come here. What if Doctor Marcel finds you?", Tina said frowning.  
"If I know my friends are in trouble, I have to help them. And the old man already knows I'm here", Edna confessed.  
"What!?", her housemate exclaimed with her eyes nearly popping out. Edna had a feeling she would demand an explanation but there was no time for that.  
"Don't worry about me, you all just come with me to the recreation room."  
"Oh? Are we going to play late at night?", Petra, who had come over, asked with a big toothy smile.  
"If you wanna call it that", Edna shrugged. She turned around and started leaving. "Come on, gals, don't bother about getting dressed."  
One after another, the women filed past her until it was only her left. She turned off the lights and followed them, doing on the way the same things she did when she got the males to the recreation room. Tina let herself fall back so that she could walk next to Edna, who took her cell phone out of her inventory and gave it back to her housemate. She muttered a word of gratitude. In front of them walked Lilli and Miranya, who were in a whispered conversation. Edna silently asked herself how they knew each other. But it was only for a brief moment before deciding there were more important matters at hand.

* * *

With guards all over the place as well as this guy with a paper bag over his head, the Key Master had to be careful while on his way downstairs to the archives. He was quite sure that getting caught was not part of the plan. Plus, he did not want to be stuck in a cell again. Therefore, he always hid behind plants or in dark corners whenever he saw or heard someone. It might have taken longer to reach his destination but it was still better than being spotted. Despite this, he nonetheless reached the archives without any troubles. He hurried to the computer in the far end of the room, intending to just grab Harvey and leave. But his eyes fell on the monitor that was currently in sleep mode. He moved the mouse and screen popped back up, showing the file that was open at the moment. It was about him. Suddenly feeling the desire to know about the past he had forgotten, the Key Master began to read. However, he skipped the line with his real name. He was not sure if he was ready to learn it after having gone with 'Key Master' for so long.

 _\- was brought into the institution after having killed and maimed eight people  
\- according to the police, he sat among the corpses and laughed like a madman  
\- escaped his cell several times and murdered two more people, this time patients, in cold blood  
\- correction of character therapy to begin soon_

That was there was to his file, much to his surprise. He would have expected there to be more. Could this even be called a medical record? Still, these little pieces of information were enough to trigger his memories. He could see it in his inner eye... he had invited his girlfriend to dinner with his whole family to finally introduce her. It would have been a barbecue party. She had arrived a little early while he was buying fresh fruit for the ice cream his mother wanted to make for dessert. When he had returned, everyone, except his little sister, was dead. Struggling for breath, his sister had managed to tell him who had done it – a gang of criminals known for murdering people – before dying in the Key Master's arms. With the emotions of grief, rage and sadness building up in his body, without being able to control his emotions and the movements of his body, he had taken one of the butcher's knives of his father's, who was a butcher and whose store was actually right next to their humble abode. The Key Master had spent hours finding the murderers of his family and girlfriend but when he found them, he killed them all the same way – cutting off their limbs very slowly so they could feel excruciating pain before he chopped their heads off. But it had not been like he did them all in at once; at first, there had been only one person there but one after another, more came. He usually had had to deal with only one before the next one arrived. He had managed this obstacle too by knocking one out with a metal pipe before killing the other, who was still conscious. Then the unconscious person got a few more beating with the pipe until one could not be sure if the substance in his head was his brain or porridge.  
The Key Master remembered vividly how maniacal his laugh had been and what sick fun he had been feeling as he played with the body parts, something that had not been mentioned in his file. Now in present times, as he reflected on the day, he found he could hardly blame anyone for calling him a psychotic murderer. He felt he deserved to be called that, felt he was undeserving of the affection Edna showed him. She had treated him like this too before they spent a lot of time together. No, her initial thought of him being psychotic and crazy were right...  
Taking Harvey with him, he took one glance at the line bearing his name, left the room and headed upstairs to the recreation room, knowing full well what awaited him...

* * *

All the women in Edna's company met up with the men in the main area of the recreation room. King Adrian sat in tailor-fashion on a cushion with Drogglejug stand vigilantly next to him. The other men just sat on the floor without anything under their butts. They all looked up or turned around the moment the women entered the room.  
"So, so, you are here now, Edna", the king's voice resonated through this large room. "Now, are you going to tell us what's going on?"  
"Just be patient a little while longer. Someone else has to come before I explain everything", Edna requested. King Adrian's brows rose so high on his forehead they disappeared beneath his bucket. Edna could only imagine his disdain of being told what to do instead of him giving order. Like the males, the females sat down on the floor too. The way they all sat in a circle reminded Edna of a large group sitting around a campfire and telling horror stories. She was the only one still standing; she just could not sit down. She kept pacing around, with Tina following her every movement.  
"Oh for fuck's sake, Edna! Sit down, damn it! You're making me nervous!", Tina eventually snapped. Edna stopped pacing but remained on her feet.  
"Sorry, it's just that I'm –", the rest of her words were drowned by a squeal of excitement and delight, courtesy of Petra. Edna and Tina as well as everyone else stared at her and followed her with their eyes as she sprang up and ran towards one of the doors. Five people came through the threshold, three of who Edna recognized and that would be Ben, Peter, and Bruce Broker. The two she did not recognize were a girl with a stuffed tiger on her head and a tanned blond haired man. Edna figured the former was the patient known as 'Tiger Head'. Petra hugged Peter so tightly that it seemed he could not breathe, except that he made no sign that he registered the cheerful blonde's arms around him. His arms hung limply on his sides and his empty eyes stared straight ahead. However, he was not the only one; Tiger Head had the exact same expression on her face. It was unsettling...  
"I think Doctor Marcel had hypnotized them to do their work faster and more efficient", Ben, who had taken a seat on the floor near Edna, answered the unspoken question. The young woman looked weirdly at him:  
"Work? What kind of work?"  
"Well, the four were locked up in that one solitary cell on the top floor and forced to produce anesthetic darts with the new mixture created by Anes", Ben explained. This explanation did not help Edna at all. If anything, she was more confused.  
"Uh what? Who?"  
"Well, I don't know everything myself. Anes is Doctor Marcel's most trusted employee. He mixed a new kind of anesthetic that works much faster than your all average anesthetics together and used it to make darts. You see, two to three patients, sometimes more, tried to break out every day, so he made them to make it easier to capture them. At least, that's what Babbitt told me", Ben explained.  
"Oh? Babbitt's still working here?", an amused Edna chuckled. "I would have thought he would have quit."  
Before anyone could contribute anything to the conversation, Petra startled them all with a scream. Everyone turned to where she was looking at...

* * *

Author's note: The reason I gave Peter the word "gadwall" as a last name is that I wanted to use a word that sounded funny but also ludicrous.


	24. Mayhem!

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

 **Mayhem!**

His good mood had vanished; he was back to his usual grouchy self. He should not have left his office; he should have sent someone to fetch something for him. Had he not learned in all the years he had known Edna that she always managed to do the impossible? Doctor Marcel glared at the door to his office as though it was the wood's fault Edna escaped. But he was certain she would be back in his clutches one way or another before the night was over. After all, he had all of his minions who were currently in his mental institution searching all over the building and property for her. This time, he was going to make sure she would not be able to leave the premises. No cars she could get access to, as far as he knew, and no way to infiltrate the watch tower to open the main gates. She would be caught before she could even take a step in this direction.  
Doctor Marcel moved his wheelchair away from his desk and to the fireplace to look at the old photos of times when he could still walk and had two functional eyes, of a time when the most perfect example of child raising was still alive and well. No matter how much time passed, Doctor Marcel would never get over that the proof his methods worked and were actually better than the common methods on raising a child was not among the living anymore. He had even come to genuinely care for Alfred... He was the kind of child a parent would want – obedient, did his chores, always brought good grades home, and already knew what he wanted to be when he was grown up, which not many kids knew. There were still a few minor things that had to be tweaked, like his wanting to play with toys or spending his time with Edna, nothing too bad but if Doctor Marcel would have managed to get rid of these mistakes in time, Alfred would not only have been perfect but would have been the epitome of proper child raising.  
Doctor Marcel moved his head down, so that he was gazing at one of the many Harvey copies that had been produced over the years lying on his lap. It would not have been in vain if his plan would succeed and he was certain it would. What child could not resist a stuffed rabbit? And with its special eyes and the recorded lines in its voice box, all children around the world would be what Alfred was – obedient children without any childishness. Doctor Marcel's lips formed an evil smile at the thought of it. Ah, what a perfect world it would be! Everyone would be behaving like a grown up from an early age on. No more buying and producing toys; they were only a waste of space and money, after all. But, unfortunately, new clothes would still have to be bought since he was unable to let children grow with his hypnosis. He could hypnotize them to make them believe they were the same height as their parents but it would nonetheless not prevent them from being small and growing over a certain period of time. Still, a small sacrifice for what society would actually gain.  
"This time, my plan will succeed", Doctor Marcel whispered maliciously to the Harvey copy on his lap. It resembled Edna's own stuffed rabbit the way it looked a few years ago when he used him to try out his new therapy on Lilli...

* * *

"Ugh, we should have taken another car... or bicycles", Amy complained as she, her sister, and Sebastian ascended the street leading up to the asylum on foot. It was not easy to get there without any mode of transportation with the institution being so high up and the hill being steep on some parts. Amy's hair and clothes were drenched in sweat so much that she felt like she jumped with her clothes on in a pool. Hiking had never been one of her favorite activities; she had hated it when her parents took her and Anika out to hike. Amy was always more the bookish kind of person instead of athletic while her little sister was a combination of both.  
"I think we're almost there", Sebastian tried to cheer her up. It worked pretty well but then he had to keep talking: "D'you reckon we can still manage to execute the plan?"  
"I hope so! Who knows if we can get another chance to get Tina and Edna's other friend out!", Anika responded. "What was her name again?"  
"Lilli is her name", Amy replied, breathing heavily. "Anyone got a bottle of water with them? I'm thirsty..."  
"Ah no, I expected we would be in the car all the way up", the only male of the three hikers shook his head.  
"Me neither", Anika replied. "I thought the same as Sebastian."  
Amy sighed; she should have figured this out on her own. How would they know that Gregor's car would have a flat tire? All she could hope was to get some beverage in the asylum... Amy looked up to the building, which came closer with every step she took. It was not like it was far away anymore but it was also not like the institution was just an arm's length away. Still, she kept going in hopes for a bucket of water. Hopefully it was not contaminated by whatever Doctor Marcel and Anes were on.  
After about half an hour, or more, the three reached the wall separating the asylum's premises with the outer world. Usually, Amy never had any trouble getting in during day time but she had never tried at night and something told her it would not be so easy to get in. Still, it was no problem for her. During all the time she roamed around while visiting Ben at work or while passing time before her therapy session began, she had found something that seemed to have been forgotten by everybody else and that was a backdoor. Trouble, though, was that she was quite sure where it was and the security camera did not make it any better. Anika and Sebastian looked unsure at the sight of the camera too.  
"Do you think we will be filmed when we try to get around the right side?", Anika questioned, her eyes following the path on the aforementioned side.  
"I'm not sure but the cam's not moving, so I assume if we go around the left side, we won't be caught on cam", Amy replied. "But I'm not even sure where the back door is, so I propose we go around the left side."  
"What do you say, Sebastian?", Anika asked the boy. He jumped and stared at them clueless.  
"Uh, whatever you two say", he said rather stupidly. The sisters rolled their eyes in exasperation, kind of wishing Bianca would punch him for this comment. Sometimes, they could not help but wonder why the half-Italian had such an obvious crush on him, even if he did not seem to realize this.  
"Oh, screw that! Let's take the right path", Anika decided. Her sister raised an eyebrow, silently asking herself why she decided to take this side. But as long as they did get to their destination, it hardly mattered. Thus, nobody said anything to this and they all went around the right-hand side, careful not to be caught on camera...

* * *

Every single eye was directed to one single spot after Petra startled them with her scream and that was to the same door which Ben, Peter, Tiger Head, the Washing Maniac and Bruce came through. In the threshold stood a man of who Edna knew no patient trusted. She herself had not trusted him for a long time but now, she could hardly imagine her life without him. The man was the Key Master, whose eyes were only directed at Edna as though she was the only person in the room. Slowly, he approached her and plumped on the floor right in front of her. Without a word, he gave Harvey to her.  
"Thanks", she said with a small smile, taking her rabbit into her arms. A few patients whispered among themselves at this strange display but she ignored them and it seemed he did too. It was only when Tina tapped her on the shoulder did she look at the other people in the room.  
"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell us? And mind introducing your friend to me?", she asked.  
"Oh yes!", Edna stood up, cleared her throat and began talking in the same clear voice she used a few months ago when she held her report about Goethe. "This is our current situation, the Key Master –", she nodded at her green-skinned companion, "– and I broke in to get Tina and Lilli out of here. While we're, we decided to look at our medical records but while the Key Master was gone to get something for me, I was caught by some weird guy. He had his face hidden under a paper bag and he claimed to be Doctor Marcel's son."  
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Key Master made a slight movement like he wanted to take her in his arms but decided against it. She wished he would have done it.  
"Anyway, I was locked in the closet in Doctor Marcel's office until the Key Master got me out. By now, Doctor Marcel's minions, and I guess his son too, are looking for me and the Key Master. So, I'm asking you all to distract them while we two escape with Miranya, Tina and Lilli."  
"Drogglejug?"  
"I know I'm asking much of you but think of all the fun you all could have while causing mayhem", Edna replied to Drogglejug's question. Tina's jaw dropped and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.  
"How can you understand him? He speaks like a Pokémon!", she exclaimed. However, she was the only person to react like this. Everybody else was able to understand the fellow with a pillow on his head perfectly.  
"Well, we can use the opportunity to expand the kingdom", King Adrian decided. A patient Edna did not know exclaimed enthusiastically something in a language she did not understand.  
"And we can get back at Doctor Marcel and his minions!", a guy who did not seem to be able to stop hopping contributed to the conversation. He was next to Tiger Head, with one hand placed on her shoulder, and looked worriedly at her. "Is there a way to get her and Peter back to normal? I really do not like them being like breathing dolls..."  
Edna walked over to Peter and Tiger Head, both of who had not moved a millimeter since they stopped walking. They stared ahead with their empty eyes, which reminded Edna of possessed people in movies.  
"We don't know what exactly happened when they were hypnotized. Maybe there is a way to counter the hypnosis but I don't know how", the tanned blond man said.  
"How come you and the other guy weren't hypnotized, uh, are you Dieter Bohlen or not?", Tina inquired. Edna heard her mumbling something about having seen him on television a few months ago and asking herself when he ended up here under her breath.  
"I'm not Dieter Bohlen, I'm the Washing Maniac", he corrected her. The chubby girl nodded in acknowledgement with comprehension dawning on her face. Edna thought back of the files she read down in the archives, remembering the mention of the usage of hypnosis on patients. Trouble was, though, she had not memorized them and before she had the chance to write these pieces of information down, she had been caught. However, she had never closed but only minimized the documents and if the Key Master had not closed them while getting Harvey for her, they would have an opportunity to get Peter and Tiger Head back to normal. She went back to where he was and asked him in a whisper if he had closed the open files, receiving a no in answer. Now knowing the patients could still easily access them, Edna told everyone present about the computer in the archives and the information on the inmates.  
"One of you could go down to the archives and look up what it has to say to Peter and Tiger Head. Their files are still open", Edna concluded her explanation, looking at them all as if she expected someone to step forward and volunteer to go down to find out how to get these two back to normal. However, only a couple of patients hung on her lips and they stared at her like she had grown a second head. The majority that had not listened to her and simply looked absentmindedly around or picked their noses or ears.  
"Don't everybody go off at once", Edna said sarcastically. No one raised their hand or did anything else, verbal or non-verbal, that showed that they wanted to go to the archives.  
"I'll go", the Key Master volunteered. Edna exhaled in relief, glad that somebody did volunteer but...  
"But aren't you going to flee with us?", she asked, furrowing her brows in confusion.  
"I'm gonna catch up with your group. Don't you worry, Princess", he replied in a reassuring voice. Still, it did not make her feel better. Her face was still in a frown and she additionally bit her bottom lip. The thought to leave the Key Master behind, even if he was going to catch up, did not suit her.  
"If it makes you feel better, I could accompany him and you and the others keep everyone on their toes in the meantime. That way, our group can escape without leaving anyone behind", Tina suggested.  
"Oh, say yes! We can cause mayhem! Yippie!", Harvey cheered and even Edna could not help but to smile benignly at his reaction. It would certainly be fun to wreak havoc. Besides, the interior needed more decorations and adornments. Therefore, Edna nodded in agreement to her friend's suggestion.  
"I'll come with them, just in case we encounter one of the minions", Ben spoke up.  
"Okay, you do that", Edna agreed with his offer. "We'll meet each other here. Now –", she looked at the inmates, "– someone needs to watch over Peter and Tiger Head to keep them safe. Any volunteers?"  
"I will!", Petra raised her hand, as cheerful as ever.  
"Drogglejug!"  
"I knew you would want to help, Drogglejug! You are so courageous", Edna sighed amorously. Oh, what a man Drogglejug was! So brave, so loyal, so attractive, and he had such a way with words! Why was he no movie star? He would be the hottest celebrity of all time!  
"Is it just my imagination? Or is that Key Master guy's skin a darker shade of green now?", Tina mumbled, loud enough for those closest to her to hear. Edna swiveled around to see if there was some truth in her housemate's words. However, all she could see was the heel of one of his feet as he hurried out of the room. The young woman did not like the way he left, she could not help but fear that the next person he was going to come across would not be able to regret that mistake.  
"I think I should go after him...", Tina figured, jumping up and rushing after the Key Master. Edna frowned at the spot she last saw signs of her two friends before they were out of her sight. She could only hope that her housemate could talk with him without any trouble. With a sigh, she turned to all the other inmates:  
"Well, who's up for some mayhem?"

* * *

He would probably never understand her! What was so great about Drogglejug? He was nothing more than a useless pretty boy. And he was not even that good looking! Granted, he could hardly judge what women considered as attractive but a guy like Drogglejug? That was almost like saying Elton John was an untalented singer. The Key Master continued downstairs, hardly aware of where he was going. He was too deep in thought as he stormed through the halls, miraculously not crashing against anything or anyone. Actually, he did not encounter anyone, no guards, not the guy who brought Edna to Doctor Marcel, no one. Were he not too busy being annoyed about Edna's incomprehensible behavior towards Drogglejug, he would get suspicious. He only became aware of his surroundings when he heard a female voice behind him:  
"Hey! Wait for me!"  
The Key Master stopped walking and waited for the caller, who soon revealed herself to be Tina, to catch up. The two walked side by side after she caught up with him, with his still thinking about the topic that annoyed him so.  
"You like her, don't you?", Tina suddenly asked. The Key Master stared at her, not stopping walking:  
"What? Who?"  
"Edna", she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You like her more than as a friend, don't you?"  
"What gave you this idea?", he questioned, looking away. They stopped walking.  
"I see the way you look at her. And hey", she put her hands in her hips, "I might be a single but I've watched enough movies to know how two in love look at each other... Plus, many of my friends are in a relationship."  
The Key Master arched an eyebrow; at once he wondered whether or not Tina was really an inmate because of her friendship with Edna. Without bothering to reply to her question, he went on his way downstairs. She followed him and, while she did not ask more questions on this matter, she kept glancing at him as if she expected he would suddenly carry a note reading 'I have feelings for Edna Konrad' around. Besides, why should Tina care about this? Well, she and Edna had lived together for a number of years, they are as close as sisters, a little voice in his head reminded him. That was true and pretty much the reason Edna insisted on saving her as well as this Lilli without asking anyone else, apart from him, for help. And because she did not want to drag more people than necessary in potential danger. Not that the last part actually mattered, considering her other friends were on their way here for the same reason Edna was here. Why did humanity have communication again if they were not using it?  
"You know, I think she has feelings for you", Tina suddenly spoke up, pulling the Key Master out of his reverie.  
"Huh? What? Who has what kind of feelings for me? You should really be more precise."  
"What I was saying is that I reckon that Edna has romantic feelings for you. Better?"  
The Key Master stared at her, unable to form any comprehensible words. Edna having romantic feelings for him? That was ridiculous! And yet, he had always suspected she might be feeling more than friendship for him but he was never sure. Now, a girl who had never seen him before and who never had a conversation with him told him her friend liked him in a romantic way. Still, he could only be certain if Edna told him by herself and seeing how she acted around Drogglejug, he found it very unlikely.  
"Are you sure? Remember the way she was around that playboy Drogglejug?", the Key Master grumbled.  
"It actually reminded me of a celebrity crush", Tina shrugged. The Key Master had no time to give a verbal response or to even turn around to raise an eyebrow at her, like he intended to. No, like Edna about an hour earlier, he felt something in his neck before seeing only blackness. The same thing also happened to Tina at the same time, though he was already unconscious when it happened.

* * *

Not far from where they were lying on the ground stood two of Doctor Marcel's minions, one with an evil grin on his face. He approached these two, holding his blowpipe in such a way that he could easily shoot another anesthetic darts. Anes kicked the Key Master first, then Tina, to check if they were really unconscious. None of them moved, they just laid there unmoving, almost like they were dead. A few meters behind Anes stood René, also holding a blowpipe, which he pressed tightly to his body as though it would protect him from harm.  
"This guy could be the Key Master Doctor Marcel had mentioned. He does have green skin, after all", Anes concluded. He turned to his colleague, who looked uncertainly at these two unconscious persons.  
"Come on, help me carry them upstairs to Doctor Marcel", Anes demanded, picking up the Key Master and throwing him over his shoulder. René glared at him before bending down and picking Tina up, cursing under his breath that he had to carry the heavier human being of the two. Anes led the way with quick steps while the lanky guy could just barely keep up with large steps. To their horror, they found about every patient in this mental institution running around and besmirching every surface with everything they could use. Neither Anes nor René knew who to shoot first, there were just too many moving around and in such a speed that it was more likely to hit a wall instead. Anes rolled his eyes and groaned before storming off to the next floor, with René in tow. The same picture as before presented itself on the next floors.  
"What the hell is going on?", a slack jawed René asked with large eyes. Never had he seen anything like this during his time as a guard in this asylum before. Sure, there were crazy times but this had to be the craziest occurrence ever. Maestro Frank ran past him and Anes, drawing on their faces with a pink marker. They looked at each other, with the latter glaring daggers. René looked away from his colleague and hurried upstairs to Doctor Marcel's office. It was Anes who knocked at the door and they received permission to enter a moment later.  
"Sir, we found the man known as the Key Master", Anes announced proudly before his boss could ask questions. Like Ruben did about an hour earlier with Edna, Anes unceremoniously dropped the Key Master onto the floor. Doctor Marcel took a good look at the unconscious man. Even though he had changed quite a bit over the years, he was still recognizable as the lunatic man who escaped the institution with Edna's help. Then again, how many people with green skin were walking around? An evil smirk appeared on the old man's face as a plan was forming in his head.  
"Listen you two, I... what the hell happened to your faces?", Doctor Marcel only realized just now the pink lines on his employees' faces.  
"It's like hell downstairs!", René exclaimed, arms wildly flailing about. Anes put his face in his hand and shook his head. Doctor Marcel raised an eyebrow and stared at them both.  
"Every patient is running around freely and like crazed chickens, besmirching everything", Anes explained, much calmer than his lanky colleague.  
"What!?", Doctor Marcel shouted, his usually gray tinted skin took on an ugly red shade. However, he calmed down fairly quickly and cleared his throat. "Well, no matter, there is another, more important matter at hand."  
René stared incredulously at his boss for practically saying he did not care. The lanky man had a bad feeling about this and it only got worse when Doctor Marcel told them about his plan.

* * *

The way the patients ran past Edna out of the recreation room was like a stampede of about every animal living in the savannah. Some ran upstairs, some downstairs and some remained on the floor, every single one of them having the same goal. They had previously taken pens, crayons, paints and everything else they could use to besmirch every surface. Many ran around, drawing on the walls while doing so. Some just chose a spot and write or drew something on the wall, like a bee sitting on a flower and sipping coffee. King Adrian traipsed around and wrote 'King Adrian's Kingdom' here and there in large letters. Rebecca drew hearts all around and Max painted random geometrical shapes. Hoppy Hop attempted to draw frogs but since he could not stop hopping, so it was hard to discern what it was supposed to be. The woman in a potato sack drew a crude but accurate graffiti of Doctor Marcel. But no matter where the patients were, they did not let the guards, who eventually found them, bother them. Not even when they tried to capture them or when one of them peeked into the surveillance room to ask for Bladder's assistance. The patients did not even notice Anes and René carrying the unconscious Key Master and the unconscious Tina on their backs, except Maestro Frank since he ran past them and painted on their faces. However, his brain did not register who they were carrying until the two employees were long gone.  
Meanwhile, in the surveillance room, Bladder kept watching his movie wishing he had some popcorn. Now and then, he glanced at the monitors, noting a girl who resembled Edna walking around as well as the patients painting the walls. The door opened and a rather harassed looking colleague looked right at him.  
"Bladder, we... we need your help. There are... too many r-running around", the colleague said, taking a couple of deep and exhausted breaths in-between.  
"Yeah okay. I'll be there in a minute", Bladder waved him off. His colleague removed himself from the surveillance room and Bladder turned back to the television. So, Edna did seem to come to her friends' rescue, he thought to himself remembering the woman he saw on the monitors. Whether he liked her or not, he had to admit her distraction was a good one; no one would be able to capture her and her friends since they were too busy restraining the wild patients. But he had no plans of going out there; he would only lose some of his nerves.

* * *

In all the chaos of every patient running around freely for the first time in ages, Edna ran downstairs to the cafeteria, from where she went through the door on the other end of the room. She ended up in a small hallway with one purpose in mind. Last time she was in this particular hallway, she found three portraits of three individuals, namely Freud, Jung, and Doctor Marcel. Back then, she had much joy in ruining the third portrait and she wanted to see if the damage she caused were still there. Unfortunately, though, it was replaced by a new portrait, a bigger one to cover up the words she had written on the wall around the old one.  
"Ah man, they eliminated your improvements of the picture", Harvey pouted.  
"Don't worry, I have enough items in my inventory to make this one even better than the old one", Edna consoled her oldest friend while taking out a bottle of ketchup. She squirted it at several areas, like ears or mouth, to make it look like Doctor Marcel was bleeding there. After she was done with the ketchup, she took the mustard out and sprayed it all over the grumpy man's skin. Edna took a step back to admire the more colorful picture. Next, she punctured holes around the doctor with a fork, followed by slashes here and there with a knife. After putting those away, she cut some pattern with her scissors at the edge of the portrait.  
"Almost perfect", she mumbled to herself, taking out her ballpoint pen and writing the word 'idiot' on the wall above the frame as well as the phrase 'I eat poop' in Doctor Marcel's hand writing and drawing devil horns above his head. Edna topped it all off by denting the frame with her polo mallet.  
"There, much better", the young woman declared, smiling in satisfaction.  
"Oh yes, you captured Doctor Marcel's essence perfectly!", Harvey praised. Edna smirked at her blue rabbit before running off to find more things she could make more beautiful with her items.

* * *

Ben needed several minutes to notice that the two he wanted to accompany to the archives were already gone, having been deep in thought. It was only when Petra pulled him out of his reverie by calling his name did he notice he was the only one left, aside from her, Drogglejug and the two hypnotized inmates. Without further ado, Ben ran out of the recreation room and found all the other patients happily causing mayhem wherever they could. He even saw some of his colleagues trying to capture them, only to fail miserably. He chuckled to himself when one of them slipped on a pencil that lay on the floor and crashed against a wall. Still, Ben thought it might be better if it appeared he was there to catch the patients too and did some, quite half-hearted, attempts on his way downstairs. However, when he reached the archives, it was devoid of any human life. Ben wondered if the Key Master and Tina had already found what they were looking for and had gone to rejoin Edna. He decided to go to her too but not before take a look at the files as he was, admittedly, curious about the content and so, he moved the mouse to get the computer out of standby mode. Assuming the open files would be about Peter and Tiger Head, since they were their current main concerns, se was surprised to find that the open file that revealed itself was neither about the two but about someone else. However, he found that more files were open, including those two's. He enlarged them, skimmed through them. Not sure if they could still need the information stored in the computer, he just closed the files and turned the screen off to save electricity. Then he decided to rejoin Edna too and therefore left the archives. Some inmates had started redecorating in the basement, judging from the caricature of Babbitt cuddling his beloved golf club, which made Ben chuckle. Around the corner was the Beeman, who was busy smudging old porridge he stole from the kitchen on the wall.  
"At least this is good for something", he remarked as Ben walked past him. Well, he had a point; the porridge served in the asylum was generally bad and it did not help that it looked like someone already ate it and regurgitated it. He walked upstairs to the ground floor and past the backdoor the same moment it opened to reveal Amy, Anika and Sebastian. Ben stared at the three, having almost given up on them ever arriving.  
"Well, here we are", Amy grinned sheepishly. "Hope we're not too late."  
"You guys missed quite a bit, like Edna convincing every patient to wreak havoc", the only one of them who was employed in this asylum explained casually. He soon realized it would have been better if he had not said anything at all, judging from their astounded and disbelieving faces.  
"Did you just say Edna?", Sebastian questioned as though he wanted to make sure he had not misheard him.  
"Um... yes?", Ben replied with a sheepish grin similar to that of his girlfriend, drawing out the word of confirmation.  
"What!?", Amy and Anika exclaimed together before the former stepped forward and poked her boyfriend on the chest with each syllable: "Why did you call her? You knew we didn't want to let her know!"  
"Hey, I didn't call her! She came here along with some guy on her own!", Ben defended himself and went on to tell them what had occurred so far. "It seemed that she already knew about Tina and Lilli's capture for some time."  
"Well, we can't change it now. The best we can do is to help them", Anika said sagely before anyone had the chance to say anything. The others murmured in agreement and accompanied Ben on his way to rejoin Edna.  
It did not take very long to find her, not even five minutes, since she was in the main area of the ground floor. They almost missed her and walked past her but Sebastian fortunately took a closer look and recognized her. Edna, however, did not seem to have noticed them, being too busy to give a potted plant zigzag look. Ketchup dripped from one slashed leaf while mustard dripped from another one. A third leaf was punctured with tiny holes and the pot itself had a face drawn on it with Doctor Marcel's signature on its left and three Xs on its right.  
"... I'm not gonna ask", Anika commented while watching Edna at her work. The purple haired woman stopped cutting and slowly turned around as if she could not believe who she just heard talking. Her jaw dropped upon seeing Amy, Anika and Sebastian.  
"W-when did you guys arrive?", Edna asked quite dumbfounded.  
"A little while ago", Anika explained. "And we only just learned you already knew about the kidnappings. Guess we should have talked about it instead of just making assumptions."  
Ben only listened with one ear while Edna agreed with her friend; he was taking a look around, expecting to see the man Edna arrived with and Tina around.  
"Say, where is that guy you came with and Tina? Are they in the recreation room? Or are they also having fun causing mayhem?", Ben asked after failing to spot the two. Edna frowned at him:  
"What are you talking about? Aren't the Key Master and Tina in the archives?"  
"There wasn't anyone when I was there", Ben shook his head. "So I thought they were with you."  
"I haven't seen them since they left the recreation room. Maybe they're there?"  
Amy, Anika and Sebastian listened interestedly, wondering what they were talking about. Anika raised her hand:  
"Does that Key Master guy have an actual name?"  
Her question was left unanswered. It was quickly decided that they checked up the recreation room while the two sisters and the boy were asked to look for them on the other floors, after receiving a description of the Key Master by Edna. The five friends walked two floors up together before separating with Edna and Ben going to the recreation room. The other three went upstairs to the next floor. Unlike every other room in the mental institution, it was awfully quiet in the recreation room with the exception of Petra talking to the only persons in her company. None of the others said anything, probably because they did not get the chance to since the perpetual cheerful woman never shut up. So, expecting to find her in the company of Drogglejug, a cured Peter and a cured Tiger Head as well as the Key Master and Tina, Edna and Ben entered the recreation room's main area. Several things became apparent the moment they stepped through the door; Peter and Tiger Head were still hypnotized, Petra was mostly talking to herself and neither the Key Master nor Tina were anywhere to be seen.  
"But if they're not here, where are they?", Edna mumbled to herself.

* * *

"Do you think the guy Ben and Edna were talking about was the same one we met at the funfair the other day?", Sebastian asked his two female companions the moment the Edna and Ben were out of earshot.  
"I would reckon so", Anika confirmed before raising an eyebrow at him. "Why? Are you jealous? I always thought you and Bianca were an item."  
"No, Bianca and I are just friends... I think...", Sebastian averted his eyes, staring at a nearby corner without really seeing it mumbling something about finding her cute under his breath. Anika, feeling sisterly affection towards the younger boy, placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and she smiled kindly at him.  
"Maybe you should try to get together with Bianca", she advised before being interrupted by her sister:  
"Uh guys? Don't you think we should save the relationship advice part for later?"  
Both decided that Amy had a point and agreed to split too to cover more areas. They would meet up here in twenty minutes and report their findings. Wishing each other good luck and silently hoping to find the missing persons, Amy ran downstairs to the ground floor, Anika ran to the third floor and Sebastian hurried upstairs to check the next floor.  
The sisters immediately saw that the patients had gone all out in decorating the asylum with their artistic skills. There was hardly any spot on the walls that was not painted with pictures by inmates expressing their feelings and emotions. Amy even took her time to look at the pictures. She always liked it when the patients drew something since it was about the only time they actually showed what they really felt. Also, some were even really talented to the point that they were on par with famous artists. However, they hardly ever got the chance to take their time and paint actual portraits... and inspiration rarely struck them being cooped up in this building every day for every hour. But Amy knew there was a reason why the inmates were patients in this asylum. Nonetheless, she wished they would get the chance to actually go outside but remain on the premises. She had heard of a brief time when patients were free to move around on the property, the Beeman even escaped somehow. Though when she asked him, he just told her he flew, something she could hardly believe.  
Amy decided she had spent enough time looking at the artworks. Her sister had already gone off to search for the two missing persons. So, Amy went down to the ground floor and through the cafeteria to the hallway behind it. The first place she looked for the Key Master and Tina was the room where therapy sessions for game designers were held on a regular basis. On her way there, she walked past the three portraits, stopped and stared at the one closest to the door.  
"Looks much better now", Amy commented after a few seconds before turning away and walking through the door. She stepped into the dark room. She could make out the outlines of the furniture thanks to the light of the moon shining through the large window. Amy turned the light on, shielding her eyes to prevent herself from getting blinded by it. She scanned the room, there was hardly any place to hide, and found she was the only human in here. With a sigh, she turned the lights off and left the room, going back to the cafeteria. Earlier, Amy had just gone through the place where patients consumed their meals but this time, she crouched down and bothered to look under the tables, even though she could not imagine why the Key Master and Tina would hide there. And it remained a question she would never be able to answer since she could not find anyone. She decided to check the kitchen just when she heard frantic footsteps. Amy froze, thinking it could be some of Doctor Marcel's employees. The sound of a deep voice telling someone to check the cafeteria pulled the woman out of her trance. She knew she could not make it to the door leading to the kitchen in time, so she rushed through the one she came through just three minutes ago and not a moment too soon for two of Doctor Marcel's guards entered the cafeteria. Amy left the door slightly ajar and watched them through the crack, wondering who or what they were trying to find. Were they trying to find the same people she was looking for? Or were they checking whether or not any patients have caused mayhem in here too? But whatever it was, it seemed they hardly cared for whatever or whoever they were looking for. If they would actually take their searching seriously, they would also check the hallway Amy was hiding in as well as the room the hallway led to. Instead, they left the cafeteria after just five minutes after they looked in the corners and under the table with the same success Amy had. She waited for a short moment in case they came before daring to step out of the hallway. She knew she had to be more careful, lest she would be caught. That reminded her, what about the security cameras? Could Bladder be keeping an eye on them and know where her friends were? Amy really hoped he drank so much that his abnormally large bladder was so full that he was having the pee break of the century. She walked through the cafeteria to the kitchen where she also found nobody and she had her doubts the Key Master and Tina were hiding in the cupboards and drawers unless they could turn into tiny little fairies. Amy leaned against the cold stove, trying to think of another place to look for them. She ruled out the door that was on the same side as the door leading to the cafeteria since it led to the front entrance and it was always guarded. They would have to be exceptionally stupid to go through there. Her next thought was the backdoor; perhaps they were waiting for the others somewhere in the yard? It could be a possibility, though she figured she could speak with Edna and the others about this before leaving the building.

* * *

Anika stood next to her sister and looked at a picture some patient had drawn on a wall. However, unlike Amy, who seemed to be mesmerized by it, she could pull herself away from it. She knew they had to find Edna's friends as soon as possible, it was only a matter of time before they were caught and based on what she had heard about Doctor Marcel, she would rather avoid this. Anika walked to one of the two grates on the third floor but quickly decided neither the Key Master nor Tina could be in any of the rooms behind the grate. Otherwise the lock would not keep it locked and yet, she felt she should check there just to be sure. They could have locked the grate after having walked through to make the employees believe no one was there. Silently thanking Ben for having grabbed several duplicates of the master key, she used it to unlock the grate. The moment she was on the other side, she tried opening the first door on her left-hand side only to find it locked. Her first thought was that they could not possibly be behind that door but nonetheless, she unlocked the door and entered the room. Her reason was that it was better to check too many rooms for Edna's crush and for her housemate than to ignore potential hiding places.  
The first two things Anika noticed were a large viewing window behind a desk and a large metal door. She figured that psychologists or perhaps even family members would speak with the patient in here, judging from the holes in the window big enough to stick a finger through and the microphone on the table. But aside from the cell and under the table, there were no hiding places. Therefore, she left the room after checking those two places and went through the door on the opposite. She spotted a hose attached to a wall, three washing basins, showers and four urinals. Above the shower heads were ropes from where cloths that looked a lot like hospital gowns, albeit in yellow, hung lazily as though they were being dried after being washed. On the floor were heaps of clothes. Inside the urinals were four different colored stones, one color for each – red, blue, yellow, and green. Anika wondered to herself how the male patients were able to take care of their hygienic needs with all those things lying around before deciding she did not want to know. But here, too, was no one and she thought it would be awkward encountering the Key Master doing his business. Anika left the bathroom and once again went through a door opposite of the one she stepped through. It let to a small, overfilled room with an oven taking up most of the space. On the far end of the room was a work table, though there was nothing to indicate that someone was working on something. Next to the oven was a small refrigerator with a flyer for Spermy's Pizza lying on top of it. Above the refrigerator was an old-fashioned telephone attached to the wall. Opposite of the refrigerator stood a clothes rack that was devoid of any coats. It would have surprised her if there had been one since it had been quite warm, almost boiling hot, recently. She checked inside the oven but only saw darkness, so she left this room too. Her next destinations were the laundry room and the dormitory, both with the same result. Anika sighed and shook her head; she had been so sure she would find those two in one of those rooms. However, on the other side of the floor was another grate behind which were several rooms. Thus, she decided to check these out.  
The layout was pretty much the same with an empty solitary cell, a bathroom – though this one was obviously for females – and a dormitory. Only the room with the work table was different, this one was instead full of cleaning supplies. Not having found either the Key Master or Tina, she left this part of the floor and decided to check the only two rooms left. The first one was one that made her feel uneasy with the yellow triangle shaped sign attached to the wood. Anika took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever was behind it. Her jaw dropped the moment her eyes fell on the electric chair. She did not know much about therapies used in mental institutions but she had a feeling that an electric chair was not required. She checked behind the controls – the Key Master and Tina could have crouched down when they heard the door open – and left the room after finding she was once again the only human being in the room. Only one room left. She remembered how her sister once told her there was a room on this floor that could not be opened with the master key. By that logic, it would impossible to find the Key Master and Tina there. This was why she decided not to check there.

* * *

Sebastian was the only one of the three not to be distracted by a drawing and instead went straight up to one of the upper floors. Here, too, was every centimeter of the walls a victim to the patients' artistic talents as well as the window to his left. He looked through the bit of the glass that was not covered in color but could only see a tiny bit of the room behind it and that was a man who was bald on top of his head. Sebastian was not sure if he should really check this room. However, the man seemed to be preoccupied with something. The teenage boy considered leaving this room out or checking it out after all. Admittedly, he was curious to see what was behind the door and if the man in there had actually noticed anything that was going on.  
"Ah the hell", Sebastian muttered to himself and quietly opened the door, immediately seeing a wall filled with monitors, each one showing a different room in the asylum. He spotted in a room with a large metal door on one monitor but could not see Amy or the others anywhere. He looked to his right and saw the man watching something on television. It did not seem he would pay attention to anything else that was going on. Aside from the monitors, there was nothing of particular interest in here and Sebastian and the man were the only ones in this room, so he left. Sebastian started walking down the hallway and was about to turn the corner when he collided with a patient.  
"Sorry mate", he apologized.  
"I'm not your mate, boy", the patient said pompously. "I am Maestro Frank!"  
"Yeah whatever. But I'm not looking for you but for a green-skinned guy and a chubby girl", Sebastian said dismissively, about to go on when Maestro Frank spoke up:  
"I saw them."  
Hardly believing his ears, Sebastian turned to him and asked:  
"Really? Where?"  
"René and Anes brought them upstairs while they were unconscious. I presume they brought them to Doctor Marcel's office but I'm not sure."  
Sebastian gulped, his eyes widening. Edna had told him and Bianca a lot about Doctor Marcel and from what she said; he was the kind of man one never wanted to meet. To think that he might have to meet him. Oh, he did not like this thought at all. But there was no way he was going alone. No, he would return to the recreation room and report to Edna. She knew the doctor better than anyone else he knew, so he thought it would be better if she would come along. He thought of the irony of how he needed her help to confront Doctor Marcel when he and the girls did not want to involve in this whole rescuing issue. But whatever, it did not matter anymore. But what mattered was getting to her as quickly as possible, so he rushed back downstairs into the recreation room.

* * *

Edna had decided to stay behind in case the Key Master and Tina would appear here. Harvey kept telling her to go and wreak havoc too, just like she did earlier before she met Amy, Anika and Sebastian. But she ignored him; her only desire was to get away from this asylum as soon as possible. She had once vowed she would never return here but circumstances forced her to return – this being the second time. She wanted to make sure that this time was going to be the last time for the rest of her life. Ben was here with her, Drogglejug, Petra and the still hypnotized Peter and Tiger Head too. He circled around the latter two like a vulture, poking them and even putting his index fingers and thumbs to the corners of Peter's mouth to force them upwards. Then they moved downwards again the moment he removed his fingers.  
"Well, time to get them back to normal", Ben remarked. "Felicitousness! Panthera tigris!"  
Edna was flabbergasted when the void on their eyes disappeared and confusion instead appeared. She turned to Ben:  
"Why does Doctor Marcel have code words to them out of their hypnosis?"  
"Well, the mayor sometimes comes to visit the asylum and check on things here, including the patients. I guess it would shed a bad light on the doctor if the mayor finds several patients in a hypnotized state, so he has code words to get them out of it. And to make sure they would not accidentally get back to their being hypnotized, he used words no one would ever say in a conversation", Ben explained.  
"Well, I doubt anything related to the word 'felicitous' would be said when talking about or with Peter", Edna commented while they watched Peter and Tiger Head starting to move around, first only on the spot to look around. Edna reckoned they were wondering how they got from her old cell to the recreation room. Tiger Head was the first to notice her. She tilted her head and looked questioningly at her as though she was wondering who this was.  
"What happened? How did I get here? Last thing I remember was Doctor Marcel with a pocket watch...", Peter mumbled in a voice that suggested he just woke up from a long slumber.  
"PETER!", Petra happily shouted and glomped him before anyone had the chance to answer his questions. Having her arms suddenly around him caused the usually depressive but now confused man to stand like he had a pencil stuck up his behind and his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Tiger Head watched this and silently laughed behind her hand.  
"Aren't they a sweet couple?", Edna asked no one in particular. Peter turned towards her, despite being held by Petra like her life depended on him, and did not bother to hide his surprise:  
"You!?"  
"Yes me", Edna replied so nonchalantly as though it was a normal occurrence that she was sitting in the recreation room. Peter stared at her in astonishment with a dropped jaw.  
"Can anyone tell me what's going on?", Peter demanded, pleadingly looking at everyone who was with him in the recreation room. Edna gestured to Ben to tell the poor guy what happened from Tina and Lilli's kidnapping over his being hypnotized alongside Tiger Head and Edna appearing to get her friends out of here. Both patients, who were in a trance until a few minutes ago, listened intently. Not once did they interrupt him, though it was difficult for Tiger Head to do so verbally since she never spoke. They had taken a seat on the floor while Ben told them everything with Peter having some difficulties thanks to Petra's attachment to him. During his explanation, Miranya and Lilli reappeared in the recreation room after going on a rampage to give the asylum a new décor alongside everyone else.  
"So, you and your friends would be gone if the Key Master and this Tina hadn't disappeared?", Peter asked Edna after Ben was done explaining. "How did you manage to befriend the Key Master?"  
"By treating him like he wasn't a lunatic... I think", Edna replied, though she did not really know it herself. Something must have happened between the two for him to actually want to change and her trusting him. Was it perhaps because she was the only one who knew what was like to be all alone for a decade and thus how he felt? Or was their desire for freedom the reason they were drawn to each other? Whatever it was, it caused her to get to know the Key Master and develop feelings for him. She just wished she would know his name to refer him by it.  
"Does anyone have an idea where the Key Master and Tina could be?", Edna questioned, addressing Lilli and Miranya more than anyone else around here in hopes they had seen them. But it was not them who answered but Sebastian, who just walked through the door:  
"I know where they are! Some guy named Maestro Frank saw them being brought upstairs to Doctor Marcel's office."

* * *

Doctor Marcel, who just finished telling his employees of his plan, waited for Anes and René's reaction. The former let the same evil smile Doctor Marcel had spread across his face. The latter, however, looked like he had his doubts about it. But what did he know? He was just a lowly guard who started in this job a few years ago. René knew nothing of the dangers of childishness, especially from insubordinate ones.  
"And how is hypnotizing the Key Master going to help you to reach your goal?", he questioned. "Why would you be able to get your revenge on Edna if you put him in a trance? And what do these two have to do with your wish to sell all these rabbits –", he nodded at the stuffed rabbit on Doctor Marcel's lap, "– all over the world?"  
The old man and Anes shared a look, obviously annoyed by the young man's lack of understanding. However, Doctor Marcel did not want to explain everything to him and therefore, he was dismissed by him but not before ordering the lanky man to send Hulgor to him. René nodded without asking any questions and left the office. Doctor Marcel turned to Anes:  
"I want you to get huge amounts of thread and a needle. Get them from the solitary cells where we forced some of the loonies to knit these rag doll rabbits."  
"Aye sir", Anes answered obediently like a soldier to his commanding officer. He, too, left the office, leaving the wheelchair-bound man alone with the two still unconscious human beings. The doctor looked at them, silently praising the anesthetic created by his most trusted minion. They were far more effective than any other, including even those used in surgeries. He did not know if these special anesthetics had any side effects nor did he care. As long as the loonies in his mental institution would never be able to escape, it did not matter. Besides, it was not like he would actually bother to treat and heal them. Doctor Marcel looked at his prisoner he had captured to lure Edna here and at his former patient but especially at the latter. He recalled how the same man who had a part-time job in his asylum became a patient. It had been quite a surprise, even more so when he heard what happened that led to the Key Master becoming an inmate. At first, he had been together with the other patients but some became too bothersome for Doctor Marcel, so he used his hypnosis and made the Key Master kill them. It had not been easy to find the right technique, which was the reason why the doctor wrote down each progress he made. Of course, he did not keep these records here. No, he kept them safely at home, where nobody but him could access them. This was the same case with some of the other records, including Edna's. Doctor Marcel did not want anyone but himself to take a look at their files and know what he had been doing. Sure, some of his minions were there and knew about it but he blackmailed them to stay silent about it all. And it had been a wise decision to hide these records in his home for when he was in jail for a brief time, the police searched through his archives. However, before they got the permission to search his home, he was a free man again.  
"Dad? Is there anything I can do to help you with these two?", the reason why he was out of jail asked from the corner he was hiding in. Ruben had been in his father's office for a little over five minutes before René and Anes appeared with the Key Master and Tina. The boy had heard every word that had been said after their arrival; he knew what was going on.  
"No, not with them", Doctor Marcel turned his attention from the Key Master to his son. "But there is something else you could do. As you may have heard, the nutters who are my patients are wreaking havoc. Try to stop them, will you?"  
Doctor Marcel could imagine Ruben making an even more stupid face he usually made. But it would keep the boy busy and out of whatever hair Doctor Marcel had left. The only minions he needed to execute his plan were Anes and Hulgor and that was to tie both the Key Master and Tina up. Ruben would actually be more of a hindrance than help but the old man would not be surprised if his son would protest and tell him his task was impossible. However, what he did instead astounded Doctor Marcel, although he did not show it outwardly, and that was simply saying "okay" before leaving the office. It was just incomprehensible how far Ruben would go to get his father's approval. Would he even go so far that he would kill somebody? Actually, Doctor Marcel would think he would be capable of doing somebody in if it meant he would not hide him from the world anymore. After all, he had constantly denied his existence and forbade him to come to him when other people were present. Well, Doctor Marcel would not have done those things if Ruben had not resisted his therapy. But the old man did not have time to dwell on this for too long since Anes returned with thread and needle and with Hulgor in his company.  
"Take these two to Edna's former cell", Doctor Marcel ordered before anyone could utter a word. Without asking questions, Anes took the Key Master over his shoulder while Hulgor took Tina. Doctor Marcel led the way to Edna's former cell and this was the moment when the huge blond man clad in blue questioned:  
"Isn't this the room where the anesthetic darts are produced?"  
"He's got a point", Anes remarked. "What are we going to do with the four in there? Use the darts on them?"  
"Yes, it's not like it matters whether they're sleeping there or not", Doctor Marcel replied. "As long as my plan succeeds."  
They reached the cell; Doctor Marcel took the master key out of his pocket to unlock the door only to find it was already in an unlocked state. He looked questioningly at his two minions but they were as clueless as he was. The only other person who had the master key was Bladder but would he have really done this? However, according to Hulgor, Bladder had not left the surveillance room at all since he arrived for work. Who could have done it instead? Doctor Marcel hoped he would find out soon, so he could punish the culprit. Whatever, the small group nevertheless entered the now empty cell. Well, empty apart from the table with thousands, if not millions, of anesthetic darts.  
"Anes, move the table away, or at least the darts. Hulgor, use needle and thread to tie that girl onto the wall", the doctor ordered. Anes threw the Key Master unceremoniously on the padded floor and gave his colleague the needle and the ridiculously large amount of thread he got from the storeroom. Then they did as they were told while their boss watched.

* * *

The words that left Sebastian's mouth caused everyone present to stare at him in shock but the person who looked like she was petrified was Edna. Peter and Tiger Head were more confused than anything, particularly the latter who had never heard of the Key Master before. Slowly, as if her legs were made of lead, Edna approached her friend and put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Are you sure?"  
"That's what I've been told", Sebastian confirmed. Edna removed her hand and turned away from him to look at the others, then back to him, all the while she had a frown on her face. Would it be wise to take them all up to Doctor Marcel's office? No, it would be better if less people accompanied her. But who should she take with her? Edna eyed each person in the room, all of who glanced at each other. She knew Petra, Peter, Drogglejug, and Sebastian were not fond of the Key Master but not what the first three thought of Tina. As for everyone else who was in the room, she knew what they thought of the two prisoners as much as she knew about the mating ritual of Species Eight Four Seven One and that was nothing at all. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take Lilli with her. She had confronted Doctor Marcel too, after all. Sebastian and Ben could take Amy and Anika and look for a vehicle to escape, as well as find a way to open the main gate. But she was not sure about Miranya. Should she take with her or should she have her join her friends? Edna took one look at the red head and at once, she knew what she had to do. She turned to Ben and Sebastian:  
"You take Amy and Anika, and try to open the main gate – you can do so in the watchtower – and look for some kind of vehicle where we all fit in."  
She looked expectantly at the two males, waiting for a sign that they understood her instructions. She did not have to wait long for one of them to nod to indicate that they could comprehend what she just asked them to do. Satisfied about this, Edna turned to the four patients – Petra was still attached to Peter as though someone glued them together.  
"How about you guys cause some mayhem too?", she suggested. "I'm sure there are some things y'all always wanted to do."  
"Oh yes! Come on, Peter!", Petra exclaimed, finally letting go of him but immediately taking his hand and dragging him out of the recreation room. All the poor guy could do was to sputter some unintelligible words. Everyone else who Edna spoke with followed them out, so that she was left with only Lilli and Miranya.  
"I need your help to save my two friends", Edna simply stated in an unusually soft voice. She hoped they would be willing to help her but she could hardly blame them if they said no. After all, she had not seen Lilli for so long and only met Miranya a few hours ago. Asking them to confront Doctor Marcel with her was already too much to ask for.  
"Well, I've wanted to get back at him for forcing me to knit those rabbits since you got me out of the cell. Now is as good as any other time", the red head shrugged.  
"And I think he deserves to be humiliated a bit more", Lilli smirked. Edna pondered to herself what actually happened when the blonde confronted the old man with a knife. She knew she had not attacked him, otherwise there would have been a bloody wound when Edna saw him a bit later. But whatever happened, Lilli had started from then on to speak loud and clear and she suddenly had had more confidence. Also Doctor Marcel had stared at her with his eye full of contempt and hate. Then again, he always seemed to have this expression.  
"Let's go then", Edna said calmly but bravely, taking her polo mallet out of her inventory. She felt nervous, she did not know what she had to expect, even though she knew what Doctor Marcel was capable of. But she did not know who was with him and what he had done to the Key Master and to Tina. Harvey seemed to notice her nervousness for he spoke to her in a comforting and encouraging voice:  
"Hey, we beat him once before and we can to it again! Don't you worry, Edna."  
The young woman glanced at the blue lagomorph in her left hand, the corners of her mouth moving slightly upwards. Yes, they were going to do this; Doctor Marcel had no chance against them.

* * *

They knew they had to hurry just so they could leave immediately when Edna and her friends caught up with them. Thus, Ben and Sebastian rushed down the stairs, skipping two or three steps at once, all the while looking for their female companions. Sebastian had told the older male that they had gone a few more floors down but he did not know where they were exactly. For all they knew, she could have gone to the top floors after not having found anything. The males had agreed to rush out through the backdoor and hope they would meet up with the girls on their way. If not, one of them would look for them while the other waited at the vehicle.  
"Oof!"  
"Whoa!"  
Ben bumped against something tall and soft as he turned a corner. Sebastian stopped on his tracks behind him and looked at what he bumped against.  
"Amy!", he exclaimed the moment he recognized her. Behind her was... "Anika!"  
"Geez, what's the rush, guys?", Anika asked while helping her older sister up. The younger male began to explain what was going on and what Edna asked them to do with Ben adding some things here and there after he was back on his feet. The two listened intently with worried facial expressions. After they were done telling the girls everything, they flickered their eyes at each other and then back at the males. It was obvious they were worried about Edna but knew there was nothing they could do. Edna would insist they would not help, even though the four friends really wanted to assist her in her confrontation against Doctor Marcel. However, they also knew they would be more of a hindrance than help. Ben and Amy worked for him, they were aware of how evil he could be and Anika and Sebastian only knew it from what Edna told them. The thought of Doctor Marcel's evilness frightened them a little if they were honest with themselves.  
"I think we should do what Edna said", Anika suggested. "She knows best about what we ought to do, she was here long enough."  
"Yeah, and the sooner we open the main gate and find a vehicle, the better", Ben agreed. They had been standing at one spot for too long; it was only a matter of time before someone they did not want to see would find them. It was better if they hurried to the watchtower and the garages. Amy, Anika, Ben and Sebastian were about to go on their way when they heard a voice the couple knew well:  
"Halt! Who goes there?"  
Ben and Amy groaned and rolled their eyes, saying together "Babbitt..." in an unnerved voice. These two, as well as Anika and Sebastian, turned around and saw him with golf club in hands a few meters behind them.  
"Honestly? Don't you have anything better to do?", Amy asked dryly.  
"Amy? I thought you were with your sister on vacation", Babbitt retorted, puzzled to see her here.  
"Something came up", she responded curtly. "And shouldn't you be playing mini golf?"  
"I would love to but I have to catch some loonies. Who let them out of their dorms anyway?"  
Ben, Anika, and Sebastian glanced at each other, trying their hardest not too laugh out loud. However, none of them could prevent a grin forming on their faces. Babbitt did not seem to notice; he was too focused on talking with Amy.  
"Don't you call them 'loonies' and don't you treat them like they're no human beings", Amy admonished the mini gold enthusiast in a venomous voice. She narrowed her eyes at him; one could expect daggers flying from her brown eyes into Babbitt's black ones. He gulped fearfully and took a step backwards.  
"Y-yes, ma'am", he stuttered and was gone a second later. The two who were not employed were astonished to see that a man who could easily knock them out with his golf club would be so scared.  
"Wow, I didn't know you were so feared, Sis", Anika commented dumbfounded. Amy shrugged with a self-satisfied smirk.  
"He's the only guy who's afraid of me, though I don't know why", she explained as the small group finally continued their way to the outside of the building. "Although, I once encountered him after he ran out of the woods after dark and he looked like he was about to crap his pants."  
"Aren't saber-toothed boars out and about after dark? Maybe he was chased by one?", Ben theorized.  
"Could be a possibility."

* * *

Anes and Hulgor had finished tying Tina onto the padded wall; the blue-clad man also used thread to tie the Key Master's feet together and his hands behind his back. It would be so much easier for Doctor Marcel to hypnotize him when he was unable to fight. While his two employees were busy disabling their prisoners' movements, the old man was sitting in his wheelchair with the rabbit he was going to use. Everything had to be perfect; he could not afford any mistakes. Last time he hypnotized the Key Master, he had used his pocket watch and let it swing back and forth as seen in movies and television shows. It had been effective back then but the old man found the light diodes in Alfred's teddy's eyes to be more efficient. Then again, he used the bear for his son's therapy and after some adjustments – and transferring the eyes onto the blue lagomorph – he had an almost perfect device for hypnotizing people, especially children.  
"Boss, shall I wake this vile vermin here?", Anes asked, prodding the Key Master with his foot.  
"Do that, and her too", Doctor Marcel replied, nodding towards Tina. Anes reached to somewhere on his backside and pulled out a syringe. Hulgor wondered if he just pulled out of his derrière while he woke first Tina and then the Key Master up with the remedy. The chubby girl tied to the wall groggily opened her eyes. They nearly popped out a second later when she realized she was one, at least one meter off the ground, two, in a padded cell, and three, unable to move because of large amounts of blue thread attaching her to the wall.  
"What the hell is going on? Where the fuck am I!?", she exclaimed while moving her head around to get a better look at the cell. Soon, her eyes fell on the Key Master, who was also tied up, albeit only his hands and feet. She wondered why he was tied up this way and she that way when she heard an evil chuckle. She turned her head to the direction where it came from, which was the corner farthest from her, to see an old man in a wheelchair.  
"Doctor Marcel", this was no question, it was a statement, and her voice was so icy that one could expect a small blizzard forming.  
"I see you still remember me", the old man smirked. He indicated at the Key Master, who just woke up. "I suppose you have met the Key Master?"  
The expression on Tina's face was unreadable; she gave no sign that she recognized him, despite having been caught in his company. But whether or not they knew each other was going to be unimportant once the doctor was done with the green-skinned man. He rolled closer to the Key Master, who glared at the old man with so much hate.  
"Hello, my green-skinned friend", Doctor Marcel greeted him with so much irony that he was mocking the Key Master.  
"I see your handicap has not taken away the personality traits that make you an asshole", he dryly retorted. Hatred and contempt filled the single visible eye of Doctor Marcel; his mouth formed an incredibly thin line. Without saying anything else, before anyone could even blink, he pushed the blue rabbit on his lap into the Key Master's face, so that it was inevitable for him to look into its eyes, and the doctor pulled the string...

* * *

Amy, Anika and Sebastian were at last outside the building but still on the premises. Ben had briefly left the group to free the other patients stuck in solitary cells but was due to return soon. On their way to the backdoor, the other three had stolen the keys to the garages and the keys for the vehicles and had agreed that one of them would open the main gate while the other two would find a vehicle for the escape. Sebastian started looking for a car while Anika contacted Gregor and Bianca to tell them to wait at her sister's house. When asked why, she just promised them to explain it all later. Then she helped Sebastian opening the garage doors, either finding nothing behind it or cars that were too small for them and Edna, Tina, Lilli, Miranya, and the Key Master.  
"Weird... Amy told me they had plenty of trucks", Anika mumbled. Her eyebrows were furrowed in her confusion.  
"Wherever they are, they're not here", Sebastian remarked after opening another door. "But I can't think of any reason why they would not be here. I mean, they can't all be in use, can they?"  
"Nope, and even if they were, it would a little suspicious to have them all in use, especially in the middle of the night", the dark skinned woman replied. She opened another garage door and turned on the light, finding something very interesting this time. It seemed like one wall had been destroyed and the interior had been expanded to make it look like a workshop or something similar. There were six long narrow tables with equally long benches on either side of Anika and Sebastian. On the tables were small cardboard boxes full of tiny red objects. The white walls were empty for the most part, except for three huge shelves and countless giant cardboard boxes; all of them full something blue. At first, Anika wondered if this was part of the occupational therapy she had heard about but soon realized these blue objects in the shelves and boxes were blue rag doll rabbits that looked a lot like Edna's terry cloth lagomorph, except for the eyes. Just what was this place? Why were here so many rabbits that there were enough for every child in the world? Although Anika could not explain this all, she nonetheless had a bad feeling about this.  
"Why are there so many stuffed rabbits? I thought the head of the asylum despised children", Sebastian remarked after taking a look around.  
"Something tells me they were not produced to make children happy", Anika replied, taking one of the rabbits in her hand. "Creepy how they look like Edna's own toy. Only the eyes are different... I think Edna's rabbit looks much better with its big eyes. These are just nightmare-inducing."  
She threw the one she was holding back to the others. Sebastian, meanwhile, had also taken one and pulled the string.  
"You must not play with fire. You must not contradict adults. Woogie, woogie", the rabbit said. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed its red eyes illuminated in a regular pattern.  
"D'you reckon it's supposed to make kids more obedient?", Sebastian questioned while throwing this one back to its companions.  
"Well, from what I know about Doctor Marcel, it would certainly fit to his characteristics", Anika replied, taking another look around the room. "C'mon, let's go see if Amy has opened the main gate and Ben has returned."  
They left the large hall and Anika turned off the light as she passed the switch. Then they walked to their left, the path that would lead to the front entrance of the asylum. Both saw that the main gate was open when they reached a limousine. They could see Amy running towards them from the watchtower over the field between the gate and front door. Ben ran from the backdoor to them. The four met right at the long vehicle, which was the most luxurious of all available on the property.  
"And? Found any mode of transportations?", Ben asked.  
"Only cars where four, five at most, would fit in", Sebastian replied, shaking his head. "For some reason, there were no trucks around. But Anika found something interesting."  
He pointed at her with his thumb and she nodded in confirmation. She waved at her sister and her sister's boyfriend to follow her as she led them to the huge garage where the interior was more like a workshop.  
Amy and Ben stood slack-jawed once they saw countless blue terry cloth rabbits in the shelves or in the boxes, the small red objects on the tables. The couple looked just like how Anika felt when she first saw it all several minutes ago – they looked shocked and amazed but also like they had a premonition about this all. It seemed no one felt well when they saw this all. Granted, the only people Anika had seen here, aside from herself, were Amy, Ben and Sebastian. She had no clue how other people would react but she reckoned Edna would not like this either.  
"You know, when I once checked what was behind the doors only Doctor Marcel and his most trusted minions entered, I found some patients knitting those rabbits, albeit eyeless", Amy told them all. "Seems like I now know where they end up..."  
"Do you think the trucks are all gone because they're shipping them to toy stores?", Ben asked, examining the red objects in the small cardboard boxes.  
"Who knows? Only his most trusted minions know what he was doing or planning and even then, only a few really know", Amy responded. "But it's common knowledge the grumpy old man hates kids, so..."  
"Listen to this", Sebastian interrupted and took one of the rabbits. He pulled the string; its red eyes glowed and it spoke in voice like someone with a high-pitched voice tried to make his voice sound deeper:  
"You must not wander off to dangerous places. You must not lie. Woogie, woogie..."  
The two who had not heard the prohibitions from the toys earlier frowned. They liked this workshop less and less. There was one thing the four friends agreed on, they should inform the police. Higher authorities were actually afraid of Doctor Marcel but there had to be something done. They could not possibly let him ship out rag doll rabbits whose only purpose was to turn children into miniature adults.

* * *

It was ridiculous how long the towing service needed to arrive at last! After waiting for approximately ninety minutes, Bianca got back into the car and dozed off. Gregor, meanwhile, paced behind his car, cursing at the towing service for taking so long. To think they could have joined the others at the asylum and escaped by now! It was infuriating. Gregor kicked the tire of his car to vent off his anger. It seemed to have woken up Bianca, who got out of the vehicle and went behind the car, where she found him leaning against it.  
"Still not here?", she asked when she realized they were still at the same location on the street leading up to the asylum.  
"Nope", Gregor shook his head. "Wonder if all of their vehicles have flat tires."  
His cell phone rang, its tone sounding exceptionally loud in the night air. He answered:  
"Hello? Oh hey, sweetie."  
He was silent after his greeting, listening to what Anika told him. Bianca kept a lookout for the towing service in the meantime. Occasionally, she glanced at him and saw how he furrowed his eyebrows. She wondered what he heard from his girlfriend. After a few minutes, Gregor hung up and looked at Bianca with a serious face.  
"Is something wrong?"  
"Well, for one, Edna knew her housemate has been kidnapped and brought here and it seemed she had found her and her other friend", he explained.  
"I can see a huge 'but' coming my way", the half-Italian commented.  
"And you're right to. Edna was there with the friend we met at the funfair but he and Tina got separated from her", Gregor told her. "They went looking for them and Sebastian heard from one patient that they were caught and brought to Doctor Marcel."  
Bianca dropped her jaw in shock and gasped; she and Gregor, too, had heard a lot about him. While she thought that Edna might have exaggerated with some aspects about the old man, she was still pretty sure that she caught his essential character traits in her tales. Gregor nodded grimly.  
"Yep. Edna and two other girls are trying to save them and she sent Amy, Anika, Ben and Sebastian off to find a getaway car and open the main gate."  
Bianca averted her eyes and frowned at her feet. At the moment, she wished she was there to help them any way she could.  
"Anika asked us to wait at Amy and Ben's house for them", Gregor said casually, looking up at the starry moonlit sky. "But...", he looked at her, "don't you agree we should contact the police?"  
"It won't do any good. We've got no evidence and it's more likely we get in trouble for breaking and entering. Well...", Bianca shrugged and nodded towards the asylum, "they will..."  
"Guess you're right", Gregor sighed. A moment later, he and Bianca spotted two headlights coming their way and, another minute later, the towing service had arrived.

* * *

Edna had not walked around the asylum for so long that it felt kind of weird now to do so. However, it was even weirder for her to have people walking around, considering most rooms had been empty when she walked around freely when she was eighteen years old. It somehow made the mental institution more vigorous than it usually was. Still, it did not take away the oppressive and creepy nature of the building. This alone would be a reason to want to break out, even if it had not been for Edna's enormous desire for freedom and finding out the truth about her father and what had happened on the third of August in 1998. She really hated this asylum for everything that happened to her inside its four walls.  
They reached the topmost floor; the one Edna spent a decade of her life in. Lilli, too, recognized this place. She had once snuck around here to save her only friend. Miranya was the only one who had no connection to this floor, having never seen anything but the cells she was kept in and the bathroom. Edna could hear faint voices coming from her former cell but she ignored them for now. She was going to check out Doctor Marcel's office and perhaps the storeroom first. The three girls turned the corner to the two rooms when they bumped into someone. Edna, and it seemed Lilli too, recognized him at once. It was not hard since he was the only person miles around who had his face hidden under a paper bag. Neither Edna nor Lilli were happy to see him for their own reason; the former had not forgotten that he had knocked her out and presented her to his father. She suddenly got the urge to give him a good beating with her mallet.  
"Come on, Edna. You know you want to", Harvey edged her on. It reminded her of the time he told her to push Alfred and Doctor Marcel down the stairs and Heike in the pond. The first and third times she had done this, it had ended badly for her. The second was bad for Doctor Marcel, for her not so much. And once again, she stood before a member of the Marcel family, about to hurt this one too with Harvey edging her on. But she hesitated; the memory of Alfred's lifeless form came back to her. She remembered how he lay on the floor with his neck and limbs spread in odd angles and drenching the carpet with his blood that seeped from his head. This was her worst memory and no matter how often she told herself it was an accident, she could not help but feel guilty. Yes, Edna was mad at the older Marcel son but she did not want to risk killing him too.  
"Hey! What are you doing!?"  
His shout pulled Edna out of her reverie. His hand and feet were tied together behind his back with pink thread and he lay on the floor. Miranya stared at Lilli, who smirked with self-satisfaction. Edna decided not to ask.  
"Er, alright... you two check here and I check there", she first pointed at the storeroom and then at Doctor Marcel's office. Lilli and Miranya did as they were told while Edna went through the other door, leaving the oldest Marcel child alone and tied up on the floor. The former patient of this institution kind of wished the column that used to be here was still there. What a delight it would have been to have him tied with pink thread at it! Oh well, the way Lilli did it in the end was fine too.  
Edna opened the door and stepped through the threshold. The office was dark and just like it was not many hours ago when the Key Master saved her. Large windows that could not be opened behind the desk; the chimney and its mantelpiece with the photos next to the door; the drawers at the wall on her left-hand side. Above it was his diploma and above it, a glass case with the trophies Doctor Marcel won in polo. In the corner was the closet Edna was locked in for a short time. But what she could not spot were any members of the species Homo sapiens. Even the closet was empty when she checked there.  
"Hm... Do you suppose they might be in my former cell?", Edna asked Harvey.  
"I think so, we did hear voices there after all", he replied. "But why not cause some mayhem while you're still here? Doctor Marcel deserved it."  
"Alright, just as long as we don't stay here for too long", Edna relented and went on drawing a smiley, writing Doctor Marcel's name in his hand writing, and spraying ketchup and mustard on the closet. The table got a makeover too by her drawing a heart and writing the names 'Doctor Marcel + Anes' – Petra and Drogglejug had told her about the latter while Amy, Anika, Ben and Sebastian were searching for the Key Master and Tina – in it. Then she wrote 'Sorry Hulgor, but I love Anes now' in the doctor's hand writing on the desktop and she carved "I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie world" with her knife on the table, left a nice dent with her mallet, and sprayed ketchup and mustard on the desk. Edna took a step back and admired her work. She should have taken more things with her but this would do for now, except...  
She looked at the heart and crossed out the 'E' in the second name and wrote a 'U' above it. Now it was perfect. Also, she did not have time for anything else because Lilli and Miranya entered the office too. Edna looked expectantly at them but after the blond shook her head, she knew her old cell was the only place to look. Therefore, the three females went out to the hallway and walked past the young man with the paper bag, who was still struggling with his bounds, to the heavy metal door. An uncomfortable looking chair stood in front of it. Edna took a deep breath. This was it, another confrontation with Doctor Marcel, and this time, it was not for her freedom but for two very important people in her life. Edna clutched her polo mallet and opened the door...


	25. Another Escape

Well, it's Christmas and here's chapter twenty-five as a little present for you. Hope you like it.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five**

 **Another Escape**

René sauntered through the building watching with unfocused eyes how the inmates kept besmirching the walls and every part of the decor with whatever they took from the arts and crafts room. A few of them even used whatever they could find in the refrigerator, like eggs, curd, ketchup, leftover porridge and so on. He thought of how mad the chef would be when he arrived the following day and found the refrigerator lacking some things, and then he thought of how the mayhem Edna caused was tame compared to what the patients were causing in unison. Here and there he saw his colleagues trying to catch them only to fail miserably. It came to no surprise to René since there were usually only a relatively few guards on duty at night and two of them were with Doctor Marcel and he, René, did nothing to help. Just as he thought about going to the surveillance room to watch the spectacle on the monitors, he spotted Ben rushing out of the recreation room with his girlfriend and two people René had never seen before. One of them looked like she could be related to Amy. But whatever, none of them seemed to have noticed him for they all rushed down the stairs and René was sure they were not going to help the other employees. Well, if neither Ben nor any of his companions were going to assist restraining the patients, René did not see why he should either. So, he turned back and returned to the fourth floor and to headed straight to the surveillance room. He was not sure whether or not he expected to see someone in here but was nevertheless glad to see his friend and colleague sitting there and watching the happenings of the asylum on the monitors.  
"Where's the popcorn when you need it?", Bladder mumbled. René took a seat on the unoccupied chair and smirked at Bladder.  
"Well, you could call Tamara and ask her if she could get you some", the lanky man commented, making the overweight man look at him.  
"Nah, she's at the movies with her friends – late night showings, ya know? And she hates it when she gets a call in the middle of a movies", Bladder responded, shaking his head. "Besides, she usually switches her phone off."  
"How about I go to the break room and see if I can find any snacks?", René offered.  
"You're too kind, René", Bladder replied before turning back to the monitors. René rose to his feet and left the room. He meandered along the corridors to the empty break room. The first thing he noticed was that everything was still clean. He supposed the patients only limited themselves to the hallways or they planned to decorate the room later. His eyes behind his glasses fell right on the cupboard on the wall. He traversed the room and opened the cupboard, spotting Babbitt's cornflakes, stale bread, and some marmalade from Hulgor's grandmother that no one was sure if it was safe to eat it and a cookie jar. René reached for the last item and opened it, seeing it was filled with what the name indicated. He closed it and, after a detour to the lockers to grab his tablet, returned to the surveillance room where he gave the jar to Bladder. The large man mumbled thanks and happily munched the cookies while enjoying the show. René played a game on his tablet, eating now and then a cookie too.

* * *

Amy, Anika, Ben and Sebastian had left the workshop not long after the youngest of them demonstrated what the rag doll rabbits were capable of saying. Everyone was thinking the same thing; should they leave now and report to the police? Or should they wait for Edna and the others and then report to the police? It would not be easy for all of them to leave together, unless they would have a truck available, which they did not. The only vehicle where the large group could probably fit in, if they sat very close together, was the limousine.  
"I think we should dare using it. I mean, they even left the key in! How thick can you be to do that?", Sebastian voiced his opinion and reached out to open the vehicle. However, the moment his fingers touched the car door, a loud and shrill alarm went off.  
"You idiot! Now everyone knows we're out here!", Anika snapped as she and the other three run to the asylum's backdoor. Ben stayed at the corner, just out of sight, and peeked around it to the limousine. At least they knew it would be a bad idea to choose this car as their getaway vehicle, unless they wanted to draw too much attention to themselves. The girls glared at Sebastian, who mumbled his apology in a feeble voice. Fortunately, he did not have to endure their looks for too long for Ben rejoined them a minute later.  
"He's gone, it's safe now", he said. The others gave him a bewildered look.  
"Who?", Anika asked what they were wondering.  
"Doctor Marcel's driver, dunno his name though", Ben replied. Comprehension dawned on Amy's face; she knew that guy but had never spoken to him and thus did not know his name either. What the couple did know, however, was that he was very loyal to Doctor Marcel and Ben, on his way home after a party late into the night at a friend's house, had once seen him entering the doctor's house in his pajamas. It was no breaking and entering, he had a key and when Ben walked past the house, he heard his voice drifting from an open window, asking Doctor Marcel how he could be of assistance. Ben had his own thoughts why Doctor Marcel had his driver come over in the middle of the night... It gave him nightmares.  
"Well, we can use my car for the four of us and possibly one of Edna's group", Ben sighed. "Besides, that way, I don't have to return here or walk to work to get my car."  
"Well, better than nothing", Anika commented with a shrug. "By the way, Amy, how did you manage to open the main gate?"  
"Simple, the guy in charge of the main gate at this hour is incredibly stupid, so I talked him into come with me and led him to the lockers. I pushed him into one and locked him in. Then I hurried to the control panel and pushed the button", Amy explained smugly grinning.

* * *

The first thing Edna saw upon entering her former cell was Tina being tied to the wall by blue thread and her looking horrified at a spot on the young woman's right-hand side. Tina glanced at her and the other two before her eyes flickered back to where they were looking at before. Edna first looked to her left, where she saw a table full of darts and some kind of chemical. Next to the piece of furniture stood Hulgor and a man she assumed was Anes. They, too, looked at something on Edna's right. However, unlike Tina, they had a malevolent grin on their faces. Wondering what they were looking at, she turned her head to her right and saw a horrible sight; the Key Master stood there, his arms hanging limply to his sides and his eyes empty and expressionless. If he had not been standing on his two feet and breathing, Edna would have thought he was dead. Still, his current state was not any better; his face was kind of a mix between the psychotic look he wore after killing the reverend and the trance-like face Peter and Tiger Head had. Behind him was Doctor Marcel in his wheelchair, looking even more evil than usual and more satisfied than usual. On his lap lay a copy of Harvey, albeit with small red eyes instead of the big white ones with black spots as pupils. The version Doctor Marcel had was, admittedly, frightening.  
"Ah Edna, what a pleasant surprise to see", the old man said when he saw her, feigning pleasure. He rolled past the Key Master to the middle of the room to get a better look at her. He chuckled. "And I see you brought company."  
Behind Edna, Lilli and Miranya glared at the old man. However, he ignored them and rolled leisurely around as though he was pacing.  
"Funny thing, mind control, isn't it? You can create behavioral blocks in a person's mind", Edna notice Lilli tense up next to her, "or make them do things they would never do otherwise. Like your friend here."  
He beckoned at the Key Master, who was as still at a statue. It was only now that Edna realized he held a long, sharp knife in his hand. Where did he get it? She looked back at Doctor Marcel, her eyes full of hatred.  
"What are you talking about?", she snarled. "And where did he get the knife?"  
"Of course you don't know, you were locked in here when it occurred", Doctor Marcel chuckled. "You see, when he first came into the asylum, he was with the other patients. Shared a dormitory with them, had free access to the available bathroom facilities, ate with them in the cafeteria and could spend his free time in the recreation room. However, he lost those privileges after a series of murders that were traced back to him. Funnily enough, his victims were always patients who had tried several times to escape. Actually, if you hadn't escaped the guy who was digging a tunnel would have been his next victim."  
Edna's eyes widened when she realized what Doctor Marcel was implying. She always knew he was a despicable man but that he would stoop so low? Even she would have never thought this.  
"And why did you lock him in a solitary cell? Did you have a reason for that? Or none, as always?", Edna asked in a low voice full of hatred, tightening her grip on her polo mallet and Harvey so much that the latter let out a piteous whimper of pain.  
"Oh, I always have a reason. You do know how much I hate children, so I worked on a way to eliminate childishness forever; and you know how much I hate it when my patients try to break out, even more so when they actually succeed."  
Doctor Marcel glared at Edna at the last part. It was because of her, after all, he had lost a total of five patients in one day. While the number itself seemed to be small, it was nonetheless a lot if one considered that no one ever managed to get farther than the front door or the property at most.  
"How come I'm still alive, though? Seeing that I tried to escape quite often, I should be dead a few times over", Edna retorted. She did not like the smirk the doctor gave her at all.  
"That's because I have something special planned for you", he said. Edna thought of something that would give her nightmare even in the far future. "But you always managed to resist, always managed to remember your past. But I will try it again and remove your childishness. If I am successful, then my therapy method will surely work on my oldest son."  
Anes and Hulgor exchanged confused looks at this. Apparently, even they did not know their boss had a still living son.  
"Should I not succeed, he's going to be my plan B."  
He beckoned at the Key Master before moving closer to her.  
"Now then, there are two ways we can go about this. Either, you throw your Harvey away and let me correct your character willingly", Doctor Marcel brandished the fake Harvey, "or I have the man known as Key Master kill your little friend on the wall."  
Tina, who had started to look bored, gaped open-mouthed at the mad doctor.  
"Have you lost it!? Get your head examined, gramps!", she shouted furiously, struggling in her binds. Anes walked over and slapped her before returning to Hulgor but it did not stop her from struggling. Even Miranya and Lilli were mad at the doctor for what he demanded.  
"You monster!", the Medium shouted, clenching her fists.  
"You're sick!" Lilli yelled. Edna never thought she could hate a person as much as Doctor Marcel. With each minute she was in his company, her hatred for him grew more and more. Why did people like him get the chance to be free and do whatever they like while decent people, like Mattis, had to suffer horrible fates? Oh, she would just love to run over and pummel him with her mallet but before she could even more a millimeter, she heard her two companions shouting "hey!" and next second, she lost her grip on Harvey and her mallet. Her arms were held back by two sets of arms that were just too strong for her. Edna turned her head to the left and then to the right to see that, of course, Anes and Hulgor were holding her back.  
"Hold still", Doctor Marcel smirked, slowly approaching her. However, Edna had no intention of holding still. No, she struggled with all her might, trying to kick those two who were holding her. Their grips remained strong but she noticed they nevertheless had trouble keeping it that way.  
"Can't that green guy stun this epitome of annoyance?", Anes cried, almost in desperation.  
"Key Master, get one of the darts over there!", Doctor Marcel demanded. As though he was being pulled by a set of strings like a marionette, the Key Master scuffed to the table at a wall. Edna was scared out of her mind by this; when Peter and Tiger Head were hypnotized earlier, they walked normally. So, why did he move like this? But before he was even halfway at the table, he was knocked down by something small – Lilli had flung herself on him and knocked him down on the floor. Next moment, Anes cried out in pain and let go off Edna, who stepped on Hulgor's foot. He loosened his grip and Edna managed to free herself. She whirled swiftly around and kicked him where it hurt the most. He gave a high-pitched yelp and went down on his knees. Now Edna saw what or, rather, who attacked Anes; Miranya had taken her mallet and hit him with it. Edna nodded in thanks and took the bottles of ketchup and mustard from her inventory. She squirted the mustard all over Hulgor and the ketchup over Anes. Both tried to shield themselves but the large man in blue was still whimpering because of the pain in his lower area and the other was knocked unconscious by Miranya. Edna turned around but before she had the chance to do anything more than that, Doctor Marcel roared in rage, starting everyone who was not incapacitated by unconsciousness, pain or hypnosis. The Key Master managed to throw Lilli off and was about to go on to the table but Doctor Marcel had other plans:  
"Key Master, kill this insufferable, insubordinate girl!"  
He pointed at Edna, who did not notice since she was too busy frowning at the Key Master. The doctor's face was red in his fury when he gave the order. The Key Master stopped in his tracks and turned towards Edna, slowly walking towards her. For a moment, she wondered how he knew the doctor meant her but the question fled from her mind when the Key Master raised the knife in his hand. Tina cried "stop" over and over again and Lilli and Miranya tried to hold him back but were shaken off and thrown to the floor. Edna recounted every single piece of item in her inventory but found nothing could help her in this situation. There had to be another way to stop him but how? Before she even had the chance to think of something, Edna was pressed against the wall by the Key Master. She tried to fight him but his grip on her was just too strong, despite it being the arm he had broken not too long ago. In his other hand, he had the knife. He raised his weapon, ready to strike.  
"Come on! Fight! Fight the hypnosis! I know you can!", she attempted to get him out of his trance in an encouraging sort of voice. Behind him, she could hear a groan as Anes regained consciousness and she saw Miranya coming closer to the Key Master with the polo mallet. But she was stopped by Anes and Hulgor, who had also recovered. Edna watched for a brief moment how the three and Lilli, who joined the fray, fought before remembering that she was in peril, too. She brought her attention back to the Key Master who still held his knife aloft. She could see in his eyes that he was struggling, as though he knew who he was holding against the wall. But then, he began to strike...  
"I know you're stronger than that! You can fight it! You know better than to listen to Doctor Marcel! You always make up your own mind and don't let people tell you what to do!", Edna was almost pleading now. "You're the man I love!"  
He stopped and dropped the knife. His eyes returned back to normal, albeit full of confusion. He looked at her as if he did not understand why he held like her this against a wall. Edna wondered whether or not he had registered her choice of word for even she was astounded about them. Was that what she felt for the Key Master really love? But she did not need to think for too long to come to a conclusion. It had been a crush what she had felt for him at first and it had grow into love over time without her realizing it. She watched the Key Master anxiously, wondering what his reaction would be. He let her go. They looked at each other, though she was unable to read his face but she was unsure whether he put on an unreadable expression or she was too bewildered. It was only when Lilli cried in pain did they turn their eyes the other way.  
Anes and Hulgor had overpowered the two while Doctor Marcel was just watching as if this was a wrestling match. He glanced towards Edna and the Key Master and when he saw she was still alive, he shouted:  
"What are you waiting for!? Kill that useless girl!"  
But he did not listen. No, instead he went over to the two versus two fight, picked up the mallet Miranya just dropped and raised it above his head. When he got the opportunity, he hit first Hulgor, then Anes with the piece of sports equipment, knocking them out.  
"Th-thank you", Lilli said, breathing heavily. He seemed to either ignore her words or he had not heard them, Edna was not sure, but he went back to the knife and picked it up. To everyone's horror, he went straight to Tina, whose eyes widened in fear.  
"Wh-what are you doing?", she asked fearfully as he raised the knife. Edna saw how she closed her eyes, unable to watch when he slashed her, but all he slashed was the thread. Tina gave a startled yelp when gravity took hold of her and dragged her down on the floor.  
"At least I landed softly", she remarked before getting up. Edna noticed her arm was bleeding but not much. Apparently, the Key Master had accidentally cut her arm when he destroyed the thread holding her.  
"Sorry about that", the Key Master apologized, nodding at her wound.  
"No worries, it's just a scratch", she dismissed him, looking at her wound. "I'm just more surprised that a certain old man is not complaining."  
Now that Tina mentioned it, Doctor Marcel had been awfully quiet. She, Edna and the Key Master turned around to find him gaping at them all in shock. Apparently, he could not fathom what just happened in the last few minutes.  
"Miranya, go ahead to the others and go to the police with them. Tell them what just happened", Edna instructed her. The Medium nodded and ran off, but not before giving Edna the mallet in case she needed it. The other four stood around Doctor Marcel in a circle, wondering what to do with him.  
"I think he's broken", Tina commented, poking him.  
"So, I guess we can just go", Edna replied. The others murmured in agreement and they all headed towards the exit after the purple haired woman picked up Harvey since he was still lying on the floor. Suddenly and unexpectedly, a blur rushed past them. Next thing they knew Doctor Marcel blocked the exit, fury in his single eye. It seemed like he rolled towards the exit in his wheelchair in a velocity not unlike a Formula One racer in his racecar. Edna, the Key Master, Lilli and Tina all stopped in their tracks. They were all in awe at how fast the old man recovered from his shock.  
"No, you won't escape! None of you!", he shouted and his face took on an ugly shade of red. He held the fake Harvey menacingly in front of him like the terry cloth rabbit was a gun or a sword. It was kind of laughable were it not for the fact he could hypnotize them very easily. Out of the corner of her eyes, Edna saw Lilli running back but did not turn around to see why. She was more focused on what was happening in front of her. She tried to think of a way to stop Doctor Marcel from hypnotizing them all and to get past him. Maybe her trusty polo mallet could help, since it did prove to be a useful tool in her last escape. If she would knock him unconscious, they could roll him out of the way and maybe even lock him in here together with Anes and Hulgor. Doctor Marcel, Edna noticed, moved his hand to pull the string but she was quicker. In a swift movement, she raised her mallet high and down on his head, as hard as she could. He was out cold in a split second, looking like he was sleeping peacefully in his wheelchair. Lilli was back at their side almost immediately, holding an anesthetic dart in her hand.  
"Oh, and I thought I'd just use a dart on him", she said as innocently as the little convent girl she once was. She glanced at the dart in her hand, then at Doctor Marcel and back again, shrugged and nonetheless used it on him. "Better safe than sorry."  
The others looked at Doctor Marcel and his two minions, deciding on what they should do to them.  
"I say we tie them up", Edna suggested while putting the polo mallet back into her inventory. "The only question is how –"  
She fell silent when Lilli produced needle and stitch from her own inventory. Tina gaped at her.  
"Are you always walking around with these in your pocket?"  
"You never know when you need them", Lilli shrugged. Tina made a face as though she was considering what she just said before voicing her thoughts:  
"Maybe I should cater for circumstances and carry needle and stitch in my pants."  
Working as a team, and also using the darts to stun Anes and Hulgor who were once again about to wake up, Edna, the Key Master, Lilli and Tina managed to bind their enemies to the wall. Afterwards, they ran off.

* * *

Miranya considered herself lucky that she was not noticed by any of the employees she came across in this mental institution since the other patients still kept them on their feet. One would think the guards would have given up by now. However, they either seemed to be too determined to catch them or too stupid to know when to quit. On her way downstairs, she had accidentally entered the surveillance room, where she found Bladder watching a movie on television and René absorbed in his tablet, both of them munching cookies. Fortunately, they had not noticed her and she had quickly left the room. These were the only two employees she encountered who did not seem to want to do anything to stop the mayhem. All the better for her and everyone else who planned to escape. Hopefully those who attempted to do something would continue to fail to notice her. But suddenly, one guard blocked her way down to the ground floor.  
"Where do you think you're going, miss?", he inquired advancing towards her. Miranya took several steps backwards. Oh, how she wished she had Edna's polo mallet with her! The employee grabbed her by her wrist but before she had time to react he got a milk shower. And a moment later, Max ran away from them holding a milk carton in his arms. The guard wiped the white substance from cows from his face, let go off Miranya and chased after Max. The Medium silently thanked the patient for getting her out of trouble and then continued to run all the way down to the backdoor until she found Ben and the others waiting by the garages.  
"Miranya!", Amy exclaimed, being the first who saw her. "Are Edna and the others about to come too?"  
The Medium shook her head and proceeded to tell them about what she heard Doctor Marcel delineate and what Edna asked her to do. Her audience was shocked about what they heard; Amy even grabbed Ben's arm and Sebastian muttered "holy shit". After she was finished, they in turn told her about their findings with Anika even demonstrating one rabbit and Miranya mentioning that Doctor Marcel had one on his lap. Not liking any of the tales one bit, the five got into Ben's car and drove off, taking the rabbit Anika took with them. They all felt they had to hurry up, lest something horrible would happen. Help was needed in shape of the police. Hopefully the authorities would believe them...  
There was no sign of Gregor's vehicle or of him and Bianca as they traveled down the hill. Everyone, except Miranya, who did not know about the flat tire, assumed the towing service had arrived and that they were now waiting for their friends at their unofficial headquarters.  
"You know, I think it's enough if only one of us goes with Miranya to the police station", Ben suggested. "It makes no sense if a large mob comes into the police station."  
"And it would be kinda overfilled with all of us there", Amy remarked. "I would suggest you go."  
"Why me?", Ben asked, staring at her.  
"You're the one who suggested it. And keep your eyes on the street, we don't want an accident to happen, do we?", she replied. He looked back to the street while she turned to the back and addressed Miranya: "You don't mind repeating what you told us to the police, do you?"  
"Of course not! If this means Doctor Marcel will get his just reward! I mean, he had me locked up for many years!", the Medium exclaimed, clenching her fists. How she wished she could ask the ghosts she used to converse with when she was still free to haunt Doctor Marcel for all eternity! Or to drag him to hell, where he belonged! But prison was okay with her too. If it meant he was not out enjoying his liberty, she was happy.  
The group reached Amy and Ben's house, where Gregor and Bianca were waiting anxiously for them. They approached the parked car the moment it was on the property and opened the passengers' door. Only Amy, Anika and Sebastian got out with Amy explaining that Ben and Miranya were going to the police at Bianca's unspoken question. They drove off during the explanation and the rest of the group went inside the house. The two who had missed all the action listened attentively, with Bianca clapping her hand over her mouth and Gregor falling out of the chair he was sitting on when Amy came to the part about what Miranya told her and the others about Doctor Marcel's confession.  
"He... he hypnotized a patient to... to kill other patients?", Bianca said weakly and disbelievingly. Amy nodded grimly.  
"He did and who knows if he had done it even before", she remarked, looking darkly out of the window. The streets were deserted; hardly anyone liked to venture outside because they were afraid of some loonies escaping, even though it had not happened since the big breakout as few years ago. But still, the fear remained and it seemed unlikely it was going to change any time soon. Bianca looked distraught at the information. Sebastian took her hand and squeezed it to calm her.  
"Let's just hope Doctor Marcel will get in jail for this", he voiced what every one of them was thinking.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ben and Miranya were at the local police station, telling the officer about Doctor Marcel's evil deeds. The officer's eyes nervously moved around and he was shaking as though he was in Antarctica despite it being a warm summer's night. He was shaking so much he could barely make any notes.  
"Now, that's some heavy accusation you make there", he said in an oddly calm voice. "We can't do anything if you don't have any evidence."  
"What about this?", Ben asked, pushing the blue rag doll rabbit into the officer's face. "And every patient and employee can confirm that two patients were no patients at all but kidnapped. Hell, one is the little girl who disappeared from a parking lot not too long ago! You know, the little girl who was on the news just a few days ago!"  
The police officer raised an eyebrow.  
"And you know that because...?"  
"I overheard some colleagues talking about it on the same day they kidnapped her and I saw her! The little girl in the news and the little girl in the asylum are one and the same!", Ben explained, his voice rising steadily. The officer put his head in his hands and rubbed his temples. A door opened behind Ben and Miranya and a pale young man with dark hair entered the police station. The officer looked up at the newcomer.  
"Ah Gerret, can you take over?", he asked and before Gerret had a chance to answer, he was gone. Gerret snorted and rolled his eyes but nonetheless took a seat behind the desk.  
"How can I help you?", he asked in his hoarse voice. The smell of cigarettes wafted to Ben and Miranya, letting them know what he had been doing outside. They proceeded to tell him the same things they told his colleague earlier, including showing the rabbit to him. Something flickered in Gerret's eyes, something like recognition when he saw the toy. After Ben and Miranya were done telling him what they learned over the course of a few hours in the asylum, he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Ben and Miranya exchanged uncertain looks. Would he try to dismiss them like his colleague? However, when Gerret opened his eyes and leaned forward, he said something they had not dared to hope:  
"I believe you. I know Lilli and this rabbit you have there with you, I have seen it once before a few years ago. Doctor Marcel had used it to create behavioral blockades in Lilli's mind. We had Doctor Marcel in jail after the whole incident but his son bailed him out while I wasn't on duty. My colleague – the guy who attended you – let him go."  
"Do you think there's a chance he'll get to jail without being bailed out?", Miranya asked. Gerret heaved a sigh.  
"I can't say or guarantee it. Doctor Marcel has unfortunately too much influence around here. That is why he could get away with so much; he has many important figures around his little finger, especially the mayor. But I guess he would not let him do anything and everything anymore if he knew what Doctor Marcel's been doing. That is, if the mayor is unaware; if he's not... well, we got the shit end of the stick..."  
Miranya frowned. Was there perhaps no chance the old man would ever get his just rewards? Was this village condemned to have him walking around freely until the day he died? She did not like the sound of it at all. Gerret stood up and walked around the desk.  
"But how should we know if he can count on the mayor's help? Just ask him?", the Medium inquired while watching the police officer.  
"I guess that's all we can do. However, if we have enough witnesses, we might have a chance", he said, taking a gummi bear from a nearby bowl and chucked it into his mouth. Ben and Miranya looked at each other. Did their judiciary really work like this? They did not know, neither of them worked closely with the law. Adam was just a guard in Doctor Marcel's asylum and Miranya used to work in the fire fighter museum when she was not busy communicating with the dead, but she doubted she still had her employment there.  
"Well, we do have some witnesses, I'm sure we have enough", Ben responded. "Four of them are currently escaping the asylum... I think, dunno if they managed to find a vehicle yet."  
"Shortly before I left, the doctor had just ordered some green-skinned guy called 'the Key Master' to kill Edna", Miranya informed them, receiving surprised looks from both of them.  
"Edna?", Gerret repeated. "As in Edna Konrad?"  
"Don't know if that's her last name", Miranya shrugged. "But her hair and eyes are purple and she carries a blue rag doll rabbit around."  
"Yep, that's her", Gerret confirmed the same time Ben asked:  
"Why would the Key Master kill Edna? He is friends with her."  
"I told you Doctor Marcel used to hypnotize him to kill other patients", the Medium began but there was no need to go on. Ben understood what she was insinuating, as indicated by his widened eyes. Worried about the friends they left behind, Ben and Miranya kept glancing at the door or out of the window, as though they hoped they would stroll in any minute now...  
"Well, it makes no sense to sit here and twiddle our thumbs", Gerret commented after a few minutes. He took his keys and headed for the door, stopping as he laid his hand on the handle and turned to look at the other two:  
"I go to the asylum now. Do you want to come along too?"  
"Yes", Miranya replied at once, rising to her feet.  
"And me too", Ben added, also standing up. Gerret nodded and opened the door, beckoning them to follow him. The police officer led the two to a small garage Miranya had not notice before when she and Ben arrived here. She could not remember having seen it before her imprisonment. Gerret opened the garage and went in, driving a police car out of the garage a minute later.  
"Since when does this village have a police car?", Miranya questioned. Before she was isolated from everything and everyone, all the local police had was a single bicycle. She still did not know how that ever worked out. Even when the mass breakout happened, they had to call for help from the police station in the next town – like always when something bigger was occurring here.  
"About two years", Gerret replied. "Come, get in."  
Neither Ben nor Miranya needed to be told twice; the Medium took a seat in the passenger's seat while Doctor Marcel's employee sat in the backseat. And onwards to the asylum!

* * *

The four friends they were so worried about managed to get through the backdoor on the ground floor to the garages. At the moment, they split up to find a getaway car. Like Amy, Anika, Ben and Sebastian before them, they found plenty of vehicles. The question, however, was which one should they pick? Unlike the other four, they did not have to worry about anyone coming to join them, so they could choose whichever they wanted. All they had to do was to agree on one, which was not easy since each vehicle belonged to someone inside this building. But they also found the little workshop of horrors... or rather, Tina did.  
"Uh guys? I think you should see this", she called. Edna, the Key Master and Lilli. Without saying a word, Tina pointed at the workshop full of red-eyed Harveys. Edna and Lilli exchanged concerned looks, remembering the trouble the little blond girl had because of Harvey when he had those red eyes. Hesitantly, they stepped into the workshop with the Key Master and Tina closely following them. Edna cautiously approached the shelves with the countless rabbits. She noticed the Key Master kept close to her. A part of her felt a little uneasy because of what occurred in her former cell but another part of her did not mind it. Besides, they had to talk about her confession sooner or later... if he remembered what she said. Still, she hoped he did not want to talk to her about this now at this rather inconvenient time.  
She reached the shelves and walked along them before taking one in her free hand and examining it.  
"Woah, look at all those Harvey copies", she muttered. "Now we know where Doctor Marcel got the one he had with him from. But..." Her eyes traveled over the many toys. "Why are there so many?"  
"Dunno but those are some handsome fellas!", Harvey said joyously.  
"If they're like the one Doctor Marcel used to hypnotize me, I doubt he intended to use them for anything good", the Key Master remarked, while pulling the string of one. Immediately, its red eyes flashed and it ordered to not play with fire and to not lie. The original Harvey made a noise of disgust. Edna frowned at the red-eyed Harvey in her hand and at the one the Key Master just pulled the string. This was kind of familiar and next second she remembered why.  
"I thought he had stopped the production of those after he went to jail. I should have known he wouldn't cease making them just because Lilli could fight against the hypnosis...", Edna muttered while throwing the rabbit with the small eyes back to the others. She had flashbacks of being tied to the wall of her cell, like Tina earlier, and her cell being stuffed with those red-eyed Harveys and an insane Mother Superior sitting among them, knitting more and more. The Key Master frowned at her:  
"What are you talking about, Princess?"  
"Well, Doctor Marcel had Lilli hypnotized with my Harvey but he had the same eyes as those rabbits and there was a brief time he had me back in his clutches... But I think I told you that part already, didn't I?", she looked at him questioningly and he nodded. "Anyway, while I was tied in my old cell the same way Tina was, Mother Superior was forced to knit those. Bladder and this lanky guy tied me to the wall and they spoke about what he planned to do with them", Edna snorted and glared at the rag doll rabbits as though they had offended her. "Let's just say children won't be children anymore."  
She felt the Key Master taking her hand and she looked up at him. The expression on his face was not easy to read for her. Was it sympathy? He did know about her past from what she told him and her experiences with Doctor Marcel's correction of character. She reckoned he could imagine how she felt at the thought of other children experiencing the same things she had to. She leaned her head against his shoulder, wanting nothing more than to get out of here and having to greater desire than to put an end to Doctor Marcel's evil schemes. As if he read her thoughts, he moved his arm to around her shoulders and steered her away from the shelves to Tina and Lilli, who were both waiting outside of the workshop for them. Tina raised an eyebrow and smirked knowingly at them when she saw how close they were. Edna glared at her, daring her to make any kind of comment. But Tina simply stuck her tongue out before putting on a more serious face.  
"Well, the main gate's open and we have more than enough cars to choose from. Which one should we take?", she remarked.  
"Let's just take Doctor Marcel's limousine, like last time", Edna decided. Suddenly, she gave the Key Master a strange look, which was not lost to him, Tina and Lilli. Her ocular organs were narrowed and when she spoke, each word was punctuated by her poking the Key Master in his chest. "Let's just hope the driver doesn't crash it like you did."  
The Key Master opened his mouth, most likely to retort, but never go the chance to. A guard Edna only knew from seeing once or twice but knew nothing of turned the corner and bellowed:  
"Who goes there?"  
"Oh shit!", the four exclaimed and ran off to around the other corner, where the limousine stood, with the guard on their heels. The Key Master went for the driver's seat but Tina pulled him away.  
"You caused a car crash last time! I drive!"  
The car alarm went off the moment they touched the vehicle but they ignored it. Edna with Harvey on her lap sat in front on the passenger's seat, the Key Master and Lilli in the back, and Tina on the driver's seat. The car key was still in the ignition. Edna scoffed.  
"Honestly, you'd think the driver would have learned from last time."  
"Well, the better for us", Tina commented and started the car, telling everyone to put their seatbelts on. They heeded her words. Doctor Marcel's driver came running to the parking space the limousine stood on but was too late. The vehicle was already halfway to the main gates. Edna could see him in the rearview window running frantically around and the guard trying to calm him down. Another one appeared on the scene just as Tina drove through the main gate.  
"Lady Liberty, you have us back now", she commented and chuckled maniacally. She accelerated and raced down the hill. Edna began fearing another crash would happen. There was no way her housemate would be able to go all the way down with this velocity; she had never driven above the speed limit before. And indeed, just as Tina took a turn, she lost control of the limousine. Everything was only a blur for Edna as they had a speedy and bumpy ride down the slope. If she were to be asked to recount every single step of the accident, she would be unable to. All she could see and remember later on were blurs of colors with a bluish black tint. The car stopped when it crashed against a tree, leaving a large dent in the front.  
"Well, at least we're out", Tina commented sheepishly. Edna, the Key Master and Lilli glared at her. She shrugged and got out of the car, walking to its front to check the damage. Edna turned around to look at the Key Master and Lilli. Edna was glad she put the seatbelt on this time. Last time, the crash caused her to fly out of the limousine and losing her consciousness before the little of her life she could remember flashed before her eyes – it did not take long. From outside, they could hear Tina making comments about the damage but neither listened to her.  
"Everything's okay with you two?", Edna asked worriedly. Lilli nodded wordlessly while the Key Master said "I'm fine."  
Tina reappeared but did not get inside again.  
"Seems like we have to walk the rest of the way to the village", she said. "Better get going now."  
They did not need to be told twice. They unbuckled the seatbelt and got out of the car. But before they had the chance to return to the street, they spotted a single car driving down the hill only to reappear a moment later and stopping. Next moment, Doctor Marcel's driver and a guard got out of the vehicle, their eyes set on the limousine that was crashed against a tree. Luckily, they did not seem to have noticed the group of four. Tina silently beckoned her partners to hide among the trees and wait until it was save to sneak past the two. Doctor Marcel's minions went down the slope and to the vehicle, examining it. Seizing their chance, the escapees commenced wandering towards the village by first ascending the slope and then walking down the hill with no hesitation.

* * *

As they descended the hill on the street, they saw headlights coming their way. In fear of being rolled over, the four friends jumped to the side. However, the car, which revealed itself to be a police car, slowed down and came to a full stop when it reached them. The car doors opened and out came three familiar faces for Edna and Lilli, two for the Key Master and Tina.  
"Thank goodness we found you", Gerret said in a relieved voice. "We were afraid you didn't make it or were caught."  
"Nope, we're alright", Edna assured him as well as Ben and Miranya, who were looking worriedly at them.  
"Did you guys walk all the way?", Ben asked his ocular organs flickering from the group up the street and back again. Immediately, Edna, the Key Master and Lilli turned their eyes to Tina. She groaned and rolled her eyes.  
"Nah, we were driving until I caused an accident", she explained. "But we're alright. A bit shaken but fine. By the way, two of Doctor Marcel's minions are back there where I caused the crash."  
"Is that so? I don't think I can do anything right now, it's more important to get you all back to safety. But I'm confident we can catch them and everyone who is involved in this with Doctor Marcel. Well then, we should get back to the police station and you can tell me everything that's happened", Gerret said, gesticulating to the police car. Everybody got in with him on the driver's seat, Tina was on the passenger's seat in front. Gerret turned his upper body to look at the back: "You guys okay back there?"  
Edna, the Key Master, Lilli, Ben and Miranya sat much closer together than they would have liked.  
"It's not my idea of a group hug but we'll manage", Edna replied in a strained voice. She felt uncomfortable but if it meant she would get as far away from the asylum as possible she was not going to complain. Gerret turned back to the front and made a turn, driving off to the village.  
The group was inside the tiny police station after a short drive and Edna, Tina and Lilli reported about what transpired in Edna's former cell. The Key Master kept his silence during this part since he could hardly remember anything, which he stated when asked. However, Edna had a feeling he was not entirely truthful. But he could contribute to the report when they got to the part of fleeing the building.  
"Well, let's hope we can keep Doctor Marcel behind bars this time", Gerret commented after they told him about the car crash Tina caused. He skimmed over the notes he made before closing his folder. "That'll be all, you can all go now."  
Thus, the group left the police station, glad for some elbow room. Ben made the suggestion to give them a lift to his and Amy's house. Lilli, who looked like she was about to fall asleep any minute now, was the only one who agreed. Miranya preferred to walk and stretch her legs after being cooped up for so long while Edna, the Key Master and Tina stated they wanted to enjoy their elbow room a bit more. With a "see you later", Ben and Lilli departed in one direction while Edna headed for another direction – towards the cemetery. She quickly realized that the other three were following her and considered for a moment to stop and question them but opted not to. If she thought about it, she did not mind it that they kept her company. Maybe it was even better.

* * *

The moment they were gone, Gerret took the receiver of the telephone and dialed the number of the police station in the next town. While he waited and hoped for someone to pick up, his colleague returned from wherever he was. The anxious, mustachioed man opened his mouth, most likely to pose a question, but Gerret silenced him by holding up a hand. Somebody had picked up on the other end of the line.  
"Hello, it's me – Gerret", the pale man with the hoarse voice said.  
"Oh Gerret! It's good to hear from you again! To what do I own this pleasant surprise at this late hour?", the police woman on the other end of line asked. Gerret was sure she had a smile on her face.  
"Well, Maya, I need some assistance from you and your colleagues."  
"What!? Now!?", Maya sounded incredulous.  
"Yes, it's about Doctor Marcel", Gerret explained.  
"Ugh, what kind of trouble did he cause this time?", Maya groaned.  
"Look, I don't have time to explain everything. Just send some help over here, I'll tell you everything later", the police man urged his friend. He heard her groan again.  
"Alright, but you owe me one", she relented at last. Gerret thanked her and hung up before turning to his colleague:  
"What did you want to say, Karl?"  
"I just wanted to know if you believe those two who were here earlier but I guess I don't need to. But why were you so willing to believe them? What if they just wanted to discredit Doctor Marcel? He did say he was not going to do anything foul anymore."  
Gerret shook his head in exasperation.  
"Karl, just because a convict tells you they won't do it again doesn't mean you can trust their words. Remember when you let out Edmund The Slasher!?"  
"Yes... I remember...", Karl replied meekly and pouted. Gerret heaved a sigh.  
"Look, just don't let anyone out until we all are a hundred percent sure we can let them out, okay?", he asked of his colleague. "And can you please stay here in case we get incoming calls?"  
"Will do", Karl agreed with a quick nod. Gerret waved good bye and left the building, getting into the car again and driving off towards the asylum.

* * *

Edna crouched at Mattis's grave, Harvey lying next to her. She tenderly moved her left hand along the letters of her father's name. Ever since Doctor Marcel's revelations, when she wondered why people like him got to run around freely and decent people not, she had the desire to visit Mattis's final resting place, to find comfort there. A sad sigh left her mouth. If only she could actually talk to him... But of course! Why had she not thought about it sooner? Edna's eyes widened when she recalled why she let Miranya escape with her and her friends. So quickly that she lost her balance, she wheeled around to talk to the red head, only to see she was not there as was Tina. Edna blinked.  
"Uh, where're Miranya and Tina?", she asked the Key Master, who was still with her.  
"Looking for firewood", he replied, giving her a hand to help her up. "How about we take a walk? There's something I want to talk to you about."  
"Um, sure", Edna answered. She pondered what he wanted to talk about while she bent down and picked Harvey up.  
"Edna, are you sure you can trust him?", the lagomorph questioned. Edna's only way to respond was to narrow her eyes at him and then to arch an eyebrow. "Never mind."  
With the rabbit dangling from her hand, she and the Key Master started to walk around the churchyard. The moon shone brightly overhead, casting long shadows of the church. It was here where Edna learned to truly fear the Key Master but now, she was taking a walk with him about an hour after she confessed her love. The irony was not lost to her.  
"You know, maybe I shouldn't have gone to fetch sheets of papers; you never needed to use in the end", the Key Master suddenly stated, refusing to look at Edna. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have been captured..."  
The young woman was surprised he would say something like this. Sure, she might not have been kidnapped if he had stayed with her but it was also her own fault. They were on enemy's territory; she should have kept constant vigilance. So, it was pretty much her own fault and not his.  
"Hey, don't beat yourself up. They might have known we were there sooner or later. And you saved me before Doctor Marcel could do anything to me", Edna comforted him. Suddenly, he wheeled around to survey her.  
"You always wanted to know my birth name, didn't you? You still wanna know?", the Key Master spoke up, stopping at the entrance door of the church. Edna was startled by the change of subject but she nonetheless stopped walking to and gazed intently into his green eyes.  
"Of course I wanna know! I don't wanna call you 'Key Master' until we're pushing up the daisies", she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
"It's Alan. Alan Freeman", he said "I found you opened the file about me when I came back to fetch Harvey for you. That's how I found out my real name and why I was brought in the asylum...", he averted his eyes. "I won't blame you if you'd hate me."  
Edna did not like the dejected way he said the last part or the sadness in his eyes. She wanted to see it gone, wanted to see him happy. She placed her free hand on his cheek, making him look at her.  
"Just tell me, I won't judge until you come to the end of your back story", Edna said in a gentle and encouraging voice. Her tone seemed to give him the strength to tell her his back story. She listened without interrupting him at all. Harvey whimpered and mumbled they should run away from him but Edna hushed him. Alan was done telling her about his past about ten minutes later and silence fell over the churchyard. Edna scrutinized him, she did not really like what she had heard but she could not deny she was glad he was being honest with her. He could have kept his silence like he did when he killed the man but he did not. Was it because he did not want her to be so mad at him that she did not want to see him again? Edna thought about why Alan killed the members of a gang. She could kind of understand why he did it, after seeing the corpses of his loved ones, but she was not sure if she would have done the same. Maybe yes, maybe no.  
"I still don't know much about my past, only bits and pieces. I don't know if I've always been the psychotic killer everyone sees me as", Alan spoke up, pulling the young woman out of her reverie. She bit her bottom lip, thinking back of what Doctor Marcel said...  
"While you were in a trance... he... Doctor Marcel... revealed he hypnotized you to k... kill patients who tried to break out", Edna said, struggling to get the words out. She knew finding out the truth would shock, maybe even depress, Alan but he had to know. And indeed, he did not look like this piece of information cheered him up.  
"But that doesn't explain why I committed murders outside the asylum", he mumbled dejectedly, once again averting his eyes. Edna took his hand and stepped closer to him.  
"I'm sure there's a reason. You could consult Amy, she could help", Edna suggested, moving even closer. "And I'll be there for you."  
Alan looked back at her, smiling slightly.  
"You know, there's one thing I vaguely recall when I was hypnotized", he admitted. Edna tilted her head, wondering what it was and waiting for him to continue. "I remember hearing your voice from far away... you... you said you love me."  
This time, it was Edna who averted her eyes. She let go of Alan's hand and stepped away from him, turning her back to him. She had thought he did not recall this either but she was wrong; she should have known she was right when she suspected he did remember something after all. But that of all things he could recall, it had to be that!

* * *

Meanwhile, Tina and Miranya, both carrying firewood in their arms, returned to the churchyard. As they got closer to the church, they spotted Edna and the Key Master standing close together.  
"Come on", Tina hissed and disappeared behind a tombstone and peeked over it. Miranya looked quizzically at her before following her. Tina put the firewood she was carrying on the ground and took out her phone.  
"What are you doing?", the Medium asked her warily. Tina hushed her and started filming with her phone.

* * *

Edna stared down at her feet, hugging herself. Should she just deny she ever said anything like this? Or should she tell him the truth? This was something she never had to confront before, seeing that she had never been in a relationship before. She was desperate when she said those words to him when he was hypnotized. Still, would she be able to repeat those words and confess her love to him? Edna heaved a sigh and looked up at the starry night sky. Hard to believe it was still night, she felt so much time had passed that it would be daytime again. Was it really only tonight she saw most of her friends from the asylum again? She hardly had any time to speak with them...  
"Edna?", Alan's voice once again pulled her out of her reverie.  
"Yes, I did say I have romantic feelings for you but...", Edna sighed once more and turned to face him, "I understand if you don't feel the same. I mean... I'm just a girl who knows nothing of the world out there. A girl who should have a job and a place of her own but instead goes to school with adolescents, people a few years younger than me, who were not even in puberty when I escaped the asylum! I –"  
"You know, you never gave me the kiss you promised me", Alan spoke through her rant. Even though he spoke calmly it was enough to stop her in mid-sentence and to have her gape open-mouthed at him. Before she even had time to say or do anything, Alan took her into his arms and pressed his lips on hers. Edna's eyes widened momentarily in surprise but then she closed them as she responded to the kiss. She snaked her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.  
"... wasn't expecting that", she finished in a much quieter but happier voice after they parted.  
"Maybe you shouldn't just assume but wait for an answer", Alan responded in a low voice, smirking at her. Edna chuckled. "I feel the same for you."  
One big happy smile spread across Edna's face; she rested her head on his chest, moving her arms down so that they rested on his waist.

* * *

There you have it, Edna confessed at last, she learned the Key Master's real name and they kissed. Although, I really had trouble coming up with a name for the Key Master. In the end, I deciced on Alan as his first name, after composer Alan Menken, and on Freeman as his last name because I love the irony.  
Happy Holidays, dear readers! Hope you all have a great time!


	26. Conversation With The Dead

Well, it took me a little longer for me to post the next chapter than I expected. All I can say is that I was distracted but it's the kind of distraction I like. Anyway, enjoy the twenty-sixth chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six**

 **Conversation With The Dead**

Neither Edna nor Alan knew how long they stayed like this, arms in arms under a starry moonlit sky next to a church. The only thing they knew was that Edna noticed a small orange glow a bit away from them. They parted and headed for the light with the intention to see if it was what Edna thought it was – a campfire. And indeed it was one with Miranya sitting close by and talking to the fire. Tina sat a bit away. She looked up when she heard them approach.  
"Oh hello, you lovebirds", she greeted them with a knowing grin, which made Edna suspect she had seen everything. Although Edna blushed slightly she nonetheless let it slide and gesticulated towards Miranya:  
"What's she doing?"  
"Communicating with the dead", Tina replied. "Has a lot to catch up after not being able to do so for years. She said if either of you got someone dead you wanna talk to, just tell her and she'll convey your message."  
"Well, there are some people but... I'd rather talk with them personally", Edna admitted. Miranya seemed to have heard her for she stopped her current conversation and turned her attention to the purple haired woman.  
"I never tried letting somebody other than me speaking with the dead, I don't know if I can do this although...", she trailed off; her eyes flickering around so fast that the irises were just a blur. "The little girl, Lilli, once spoke to me from the limbo. She told me she was dead but obviously, she's pretty much alive... unless she really was dead and returned from the afterlife. But I don't know how she managed this."  
"Well, I can call Amy and ask her if she's still awake", Tina offered.  
"Yeah, do that", Miranya agreed. Tina got up on her feet and walked a few meters away before taking out her phone. Edna decided to sit in tailor-fashion on the grass with Harvey on her lap, next to the Medium. Alan took a seat next to Edna, putting his arm around her shoulders. The young woman spotted Miranya glancing their way and smiling to herself. Fortunately, she did not do or say anything to make Edna feel awkward. This was, after all, her first relationship. Wait a second; were she and Alan even a couple? There never was a mention of their being one. She should talk to him about it as soon as possible.  
"Ah no, sorry. I haven't heard from your Siamese twin, Moti."  
Edna got keen-eared when she heard the name coming out of Miranya's mouth.  
"Did you just say 'Moti'?", she asked incredulously. The red head looked at her in surprise.  
"Uh yes", she confirmed. "He's trying to contact his brother, Hoti."  
"I know them! But...", Edna made a sad face and a worry line appeared between her eyebrows upon making a realization, "if you're talking to Moti through the fire then that means he's..."  
She could not bring herself to say it. The thought that one of her earliest friends, at least of those she could remember, was dead was painful. True, she only knew Hoti and Moti for several hours but she nevertheless considered them as close friends.  
"How did he die?", Edna asked. Miranya gave her a clueless look and turned back to the fire.  
"Hello? Moti? Can you hear me?", she spoke to the dancing flames. "Here's someone you know. No, not your brother. It's Edna."  
Miranya was quiet for a minute, probably listening to what Moti had to say from the other side. Once or twice, she glanced at Edna, who rested her head against Alan's shoulder.  
"Edna's doing well, though she looks a little exhausted. She seems to be very close to this guy – what's his name? – the Key Master."  
From the side, Edna could see Miranya frowning and slowly nodding.  
"Uh huh... Really? He doesn't appear to be as insane as you describe him. Then again, he's not hypnotized anymore..."  
Tina reappeared and flopped herself onto the ground. She watched the Medium having a conversation with the flames for a moment and then turned to Edna and Alan.  
"I managed to get in contact with Lilli... Well, actually to Amy who woke her up for me... She said you need to be in trance, like when she tried to lift her behavioral blockades", Tina told them. "That's how she managed to get to the limbo. But she also mentioned she had no control of where she would land in her subconscious."  
"Are you saying I should get hypnotized?", Edna inquired, leaning forward.  
"Yeah, if you're willing to, you can go to her house now and do it", her housemate replied. Edna bit her bottom lip and glanced around, thinking of what to do. The prospect of being hypnotized once again did not appeal to her. Still, it was not only Moti she wanted to talk to. Her main reason for doing this was to get a chance to speak with her father and Alfred and perhaps with her mother too. Edna twisted her upper body around to silently ask Alan for advice. He took her hand and gave her an encouraging nod. This was enough for her to agree with the hypnosis. Tina gave her the direction to Ben and Amy's house and mentioned she would be going there later too, after having enjoyed fresh air long enough. Alan did accompany Edna.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Amy and Ben's house were Anika, Gregor, Bianca and Sebastian. These four were all gathered in the living room, on the floor in their sleeping bags and clad in their nightclothes. However, sleep was not on their minds despite the late hour; their worry about Edna and the other three was just too great. Amy had told them everything Miranya told her and Ben and, just like the couple, the four friends were shocked beyond words about the revelations.  
"How sick can anybody be? I mean, Doctor Marcel is the head of the local asylum and yet, how he can do is to his patients? They needed help and not something to make their mental illnesses worse! Honestly, who thought it was a good idea to have him run this kind of establishment!?" Bianca ranted. The thought of some people abusing their powers upset her so much that she forgot such people existed. Anika, Gregor and Sebastian just let her be; they knew there was no point in trying to calm her down. Bianca's rant went on how much she hated people like Doctor Marcel and how unfair it was that injustice was tolerated. It was only when she paused to take a deep breath did Sebastian put his hand on her shoulder and spoke to her in a calming voice:  
"We know, Bianca. And I'm sure Edna's gonna be alright; she's a tough girl and no one can beat any of her friends."  
"I know but...", Bianca heaved a sigh, "but I just can't help but worry about them..."  
"We understand, we're worried too", Anika said sympathetically. She, too, sighed and gazed at the doorway. "How about I go and ask Amy if she heard anything from Edna and the others?"  
Bianca, Gregor and Sebastian all nodded silently in agreement and Anika got up and left the living room. She looked to her left and then to her right for her older sister upon entering the hallway. Amy was nowhere to be seen, so Anika decided to go upstairs and see if she can find Amy there. However, the second floor landing was devoid of any humanoids, apart from Anika herself, too. Reckoning Amy might be in her bedroom, she went up to that door and knocked once. No answer. She tried it again and again no answer. After the third time of trying and failing, she surveyed the hallway, soon noticing the door to the guestroom stood ajar. Anika approached the door and lightly pushed the door open. Her eyes immediately fell on the occupied bed, where Lilli slept peacefully in a shirt a few times her sizes that Amy lent her. The next thing she noticed was Amy putting a fresh bed sheet on the second bed. Anika stepped into the room and cleared her throat to get Amy's attention. The older one of the two sisters turned around.  
"Oh hey, Sis, is there anything you need?"  
"Um, all we – that is me and the others – wanted to know if you've heard anything from Edna?", Anika questioned, stepping closer to her sister and helping her with putting the fresh bed sheet on.  
"Well, Tina called me earlier. She told me she, Edna and the other two wanted to enjoy the fresh air. But they'll be here soon", Amy replied before returning to an upright position. "By the way, do you know where the blue rabbit we got from the asylum is?"  
"Uh, I think Ben had it last. But why do you need it?"  
"It's not for me, it's for Edna. You see, there's something she needs to do and for that, she needs the hypnosis rabbit."  
"I'm not quite sure if I understand it at all..."

* * *

Edna and Alan arrived at their destination about half an hour later, after a walk through the village. It was Amy who answered the door shortly after Edna rang the bell. The therapist greeted the two and let them inside her humble abode without asking any question. Edna reckoned Amy knew why she was here; her conversation with Tina was not even an hour ago.  
"You two can go to the guest bedroom. Lilli's sleeping there but I don't think you'll be disturbing her", Amy said, leading them through the hallway, up the stairs to a door at the end of the upper floor corridor. On their way to the guest bedroom, they passed the open door of the living room where Edna spotted Anika, Bianca, Gregor and Sebastian in sleeping bags and watching DVD. Bianca noticed her walking past and raised a hand in greeting but did not do anything else to acknowledge her. Edna imitated the gesture before her friends were out of sight and she was on her way upstairs. Amy left Edna and Alan at the door to the guest bedroom, stating she was getting the blue hypnosis rabbit.  
"I'm kinda nervous about this... I'd have never thought I would want to get hypnotized voluntarily", Edna admitted, looking up the hallway to where Amy disappeared to. Alan snaked his arms around her waist, embracing her from behind.  
"You'll be fine, everything's gonna be alright", he reassured her. "And I'll be there when you wake up."  
"It actually makes me feel better", Edna replied smilingly. She opened the door and they entered the guest bedroom.  
The interior was kept simple with two beds – Lilli slept in one of them – a closet filling out one entire wall, as well as a mirror, seating accommodations and a table. Besides the beds were nightstands and on those were reading lamps. Edna headed for the unoccupied bed and sat on it, taking off her shoes. Alan did the same just as Amy reappeared with the rabbit they got from the workshop.  
"Ready? You just have to look into its eyes and not think about anything", Amy instructed and held the rabbit close up, pulling the string. Edna became immediately entranced by the glowing red eyes, not really aware of what it was saying. Something about not going to dangerous places... Everything swam...

* * *

Edna found herself in a particular large room with the finest furniture she had ever seen. Here and there were vases and portraits that must have cost a fortune. However, there was nothing one would find in a modern household – no television, no movie player, nothing. The only electric objects were lamps and even then, Edna was not sure if they ran on electricity for they looked a lot like gas lamps. Really, if she had to compare this room to anything, it would be a mansion perhaps from Great Britain in the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century. However, while the location seemed to be from more than a hundred years ago, it seemed the actual time was much later. The whole place was dark, damp and rundown – an even worse state than her childhood home. Indeed, it looked like a haunted mansion; the only thing missing was the knowledge of an unsolved murder having been committed here and the ghost of the victim haunting this place. Edna swiveled around and found herself facing the lit fireplace. On the mantelpiece were valuable objects and withered plants on the left and right edge. On the wall above the mantelpiece was a dusty portrait. Edna wiped the dust off with her hand, revealing it to be a family portrait... of Mattis and Vivian dressed like a wealthy English couple and Edna as a little four year old sitting on her mother's lap.  
"Edna, what kind of place were you imagining?", Harvey inquired. Like when he tempomorphed her back to her past, he was able to walk on his own; there was no need for Edna to carry him. She slowly turned on the spot, taking in her surroundings.  
"I... I don't know..."  
"Edna! Hey, Edna!"  
The young woman slowly revolved on the spot, wondering where Miranya's voice was coming from. While doing so, she turned around and her eyes fell on the flames, where she saw the Medium's head looking at her.  
"Miranya!", Edna exclaimed, completely befuddled. "Is that how the people you communicate with see you?"  
"Pretty much. I've sent Moti your way. Is there anyone else you want me to send over to you?"  
"Yes, there are some", Edna crouched down so that she was eye to eye with Miranya. "Can you try to find a boy named Alfred Marcel?"  
"Did you just say 'Marcel'? As in that mad doctor who enjoys ruining people's lives?", the red haired Medium asked incredulously.  
"Yes, there's something I gotta tell him...", Edna admitted. Miranya raised a skeptical eyebrow.  
"Alright... Anyone else?"  
"Yes, Mattis and Vivian Konrad."  
Miranya's head made a movement that was unmistakably a nod and disappeared. Now alone with Harvey in this mansion, Edna started to wander around to pass the time. She wondered to herself how the owners of the mansion lived and how they got so wealthy. Did they inherit the money? Or did they have a marvelous idea for a product the world was waiting for? She wondered what kind of product, if it were the case. Or they had some kind of title, like Lord and Lady. That would explain the mansion and wealth, too. But what intrigued her more was the question if the mansion was haunted because a mysterious, unsolved murder took place here. She found this back story really interesting and creepy, although she could go with something even far more creepier.  
"What do you think happened here, Harvey?", Edna asked the blue lagomorph for his opinion.  
"I think it's whatever you imagined it to be but...", Harvey stared questioningly at his friend, accidentally breaking an ornamental vase. "Why couldn't you imagine a more exciting place? Like the moon? Or Cardassia Prime? I wouldn't even mind a Borg cube!"  
"Dunno. But really?", Edna raised an eyebrow. "A Borg cube? D'you want to be assimilated?"  
"Well, a Harvey Borg doesn't sound so bad", the rabbit shrugged. Edna shook her head, thinking to herself she did not want to be a Borg just as she saw someone entering the room through one of the doors. It was an overweight man and he was semi-transparent. His skin was dark, his nose was big and his hair was black. His outfit consisted of a gray suit that did not fit to his personality, in Edna's opinion, and shiny black shoes.  
"Moti? Is that really you?", she asked, approaching the newcomer.  
"Edna!? Huh, I almost didn't recognize you", he replied, also walking closer. Edna would have liked to give him a friendly hug but she had a feeling it would not work seeing he was not solid. "You really have changed since I last saw you. Back then, your hair just hung from your head and was in need of a wash and you wore a hospital nightgown."  
"Well, a lot of things have happened since our breakout", Edna replied, smiling modestly.  
"Yeah, I heard you and the Key Master have gotten very close", Moti sounded like he did not approve of this relationship. Edna knew the last time Moti saw the Key Master, he was still a lunatic. Therefore she did not blame him.  
"Moti, old chap! How're you doin'?", Harvey exclaimed joyously before Edna had time to explain it all.  
"Hello Harvey, I hope you're taking good care of Edna", Moti reciprocated the greeting before frowning at the girl. "But when I see who she's getting close with..."  
"But it only happened over the last few months... and tonight. And Alan has changed – that's his actual name", Edna added at her friend's puzzled expression. "He's not the insane man you remember and it wasn't even his fault."  
And Edna proceeded to give Moti a recap of what Doctor Marcel revealed only this night. Like everyone else who heard this, he was shocked too. Edna was willing to believe that there was no decent human being who would not be appalled. In this case, it led to long rant on Moti's side about Doctor Marcel's heinous acts.  
"Woah! Calm down! It makes no sense ranting about this!", Edna exclaimed, trying to put her hands on his shoulders but went through. Moti took a deep breath and was back to his tranquil self.  
"I guess you're right", he said.  
"And now tell me, what's with the suit? That's just not you", Edna inquired, giving her friend a once-over.  
"Well, you see I went back to the asylum after everything quieted down. I was declared clinically sane and was discharged. I took a job as bank teller but I was shot on my first day during a bank robbery", Moti recounted.  
"Oh... have you ever found out who did this – in afterlife, I mean", Edna asked before making a questioning face. "Wait a minute; you were discharged from the asylum?"  
"Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds. But I was the only one who went back. Don't know where the others have gone. But tell me, how have you been doing?"  
Once again, Edna spent a long time telling her friend what had happened since she left him and his twin Hoti in the crashed car. However, she left the parts of Alan committing murders out – he did not need to know that.  
"I really can't imagine you as a convent girl", was the first Moti said after she finished. "If you tell me you were a nice, obedient girl, then I know that part was a lie."  
"I kept a low profile but I still caused mischief", Edna replied, smiling impishly. "I don't think I will ever stop being that way."  
Moti chuckled and looked at her like an older brother being amused by the antics of his younger sister.  
"I'll go now and see if I can get in contact with Hoti. Maybe I'm lucky tonight", he said.  
"What do you mean 'lucky tonight'? Haven't you been able to get in touch with him?", Edna asked, frowning.  
"I've never been able to get in contact with him. Perhaps you could tell him I want to speak with him when you see him?"  
"I can't make any promises but I will try."  
Moti smiled gratefully at her and bid her good bye before leaving. Edna watched him disappear, feeling both happy of having seen him again but also sad of his being dead. It would have been so nice if they all could have done something together, like going to the movies or a fair. Hopefully, Hoti's position was better and she was able to find him wherever he was. But even if she found him, would he be somewhere near Miranya or any other Medium? Was there another way to communicate with the dead?

* * *

Everything was quiet back in the world of the living. Amy and Ben had gone to the living room to join Anika, Bianca, Gregor and Sebastian. They had also offered Alan to come along too but he declined. He wanted to stay with Edna; he told her he would be there when she woke up. Also, he needed his time to think... He had already started to suspect a long time ago that Edna might feel more than friendship towards him but he had never been quite sure. He had not received any kind of affection since he was a young adult. How could he have not confused true friendship and love? But hearing her confession was like a mug of hot chocolate in a cold winter's night if not even better. Never would he have imagined she would reciprocate his feelings. But what were they now? Sure, they had kissed once and admitted their love for one another but did that make them a couple? Perhaps he should officially ask her? Nevertheless, even if Alan was unsure of their current relationship status, he saw a couple of things that occurred between them over the last months in a new light. It certainly explained why Edna was so unhappy with the prospect of his leaving the country or never letting go of each other when they held hands. A half-smile appeared on Alan's face as he caressed Edna's cheek with the back of his hand. If anyone would have told him what he would feel for the girl that appeared one day at the glass to his cell, he would most likely have killed the person or at least hurt them.  
Meanwhile, the four guests in the living room had paused the movie they were watching. They, with the exception of Bianca, intended to ask about those who were not with them at the moment. So, the moment Amy had taken a seat on the couch, she was bombarded with questions by Anika, Gregor and Sebastian.  
"Is Edna here yet?"  
"Do you know when she'll be here?"  
"Is anyone else in her company?"  
The questions the three asked melded in a near incomprehensible word salad unless one were to listen closely. Amy looked kind of overwhelmed with the rush; Bianca decided to liberate her before she was flattened by her own sister and the two males.  
"Guys, calm down!", the half-Italian raised her voice to make herself heard. "It's alright, Edna's fine. I saw her walking past the door earlier; she's in company with her green-skinned friend."  
The three who had been close to interrogate Amy had the resemblance to wax figures in light of this new information. None of them seemed to have noticed their purple haired friend when Bianca did. It was so ironic, they had been so worried about her and when she arrived, nobody noticed her. But perhaps it was better this way; Edna did look like she needed rest. Thus, having them all gang up on her to interrogate her too would not be an intelligent thing to do.  
"And I think it's better if we wait until tomorrow to question her", Bianca declared in a stern voice, suddenly coming across like she was the oldest and not Amy and Ben. Gregor and Anika returned to their sleeping bags, they seemed to agree with the dark haired and pale skinned girl. But Sebastian seemed to be on the verge of arguing; he had not moved but stared at Bianca with a wide open mouth.  
"But what if she needs someone to talk to? We should be there for her and listen to her!", the youngest male in the house argued but seemed shrink down in every aspect at Bianca's reaction. She rose to her feet, put her hands in her hips and narrowed her dark eyes. Her nostrils flared. At the moment, she looked as dangerous as a bad-tempered bull.  
"When I say we should let her rest now, we let her rest", Bianca hissed like a snake. Afraid she might attack him, Sebastian returned to his sleeping bag faster than one could say 'hop scotch'. Smirking in satisfaction, Bianca sat down again. Amy and Ben chuckled.  
"Don't worry, Sebastian, her friend with the pale green skin is with her. She can talk to him if she needs someone to talk to", Amy assured him. "Now then, let's watch that movie to get our minds off things."  
Gregor snatched the remote for the DVD player and pressed the play button.

* * *

Edna decided to look around a bit more and left the room with Harvey in tow. The door they went through led to a large foyer with several other doors leading to different parts of the mansion as well as outside. She chose to go through the latter, wanting to see the property. But one step on the old front porch and she noticed outside was not any better than inside.  
"What happened here? It looks like a barren wasteland!", Harvey exclaimed in a mix of astonishment, shock, and a little bit of glee at the thought of the mayhem that happened here.  
"Save for the trees, although they look like they had better days", Edna remarked. She and Harvey walked off the porch and wandered around. On the mansion's right side, they found a garage devoid of any vehicles but the walls laden with tools and such. Behind the mansion, they found a large paddock and a burned down horse stable. A bit farther away, in a ramshackle barn found Edna a beautiful carriage – at least she assumed it was beautiful since it was in the same rundown state as everything else. Not too far from the mansion stood a smaller house. Edna ran towards it, wondering what it could be but the windows were so dirty that it was impossible to look inside. She wiped the dirt off, and then picked Harvey up so that they could look inside together.  
"What do you think is this?", Harvey asked.  
"Well, the premises are large and I can imagine they had loads of ornamental plants and flowers. Besides, large mansions like this one always have a gardener, so I reckon that's his house", Edna mused, surveying the cozy-looking living quarters.  
"Maybe he's responsible for the whole state here? You know, it's always the gardener", Harvey said.  
"Or the butler", Edna added.  
"Or if the rich owner of the mansion was old but had a young wife, then it was the wife", said an unknown yet familiar voice behind Edna. A soft gasp came from her mouth as her eyes widened slightly. She whipped around and came face to face with a woman who looked a lot like her. There were only a few differences, like the shape of the eyes and the newcomer having pouty lips. Also, her hair was a lighter shade. But nonetheless, anyone could see that this was Vivian Konrad, Edna's mother who was murdered when Edna was only four years old. Emotions swelled up inside Edna, tears were filling up her eyes. So long had she wished to see her mother again and there she was, smiling at her. Forgetting she could not touch her, Edna broke into a run, wanting to embrace her mother. But the memory of this little detail returned when she went right through her. Vivian smiled sadly at her daughter.  
"I wish I could take you into my arms...", she said mournfully.  
"I wish that too", Edna replied before glancing around. "Where're Dad and Alfred?"  
"They wanted to give us some alone time together since we didn't have so much time together before I died", Vivian responded. A small smile appeared on her face. "Tell me how you've been doing. I watched over but you'd be surprised how many want to talk to the dead, even if they don't know the person."  
"Perhaps they just like talking to the dead?", Edna shrugged. "But I'm quite well... as one in my situation can be... You know what I mean, do you?"  
"You mean your lost ten years inside a mental institution, which led you to have your education much later than everyone else your age?", Vivian inquired and when her daughter nodded, she made the same movement with her own head. "Yes, all that time, I had wished I could have walked up and taken you home. You didn't deserve any of the torture he forced you through..."  
Suddenly, her gentle face became twisted in fury. Indeed, her whole semi-transparent being was on fire.  
"Ooh, I can't wait until he ends up in afterlife too! He won't ever rest in peace; he's gonna get his ass kicked!", Vivian vowed furiously, scaring Harvey so much he hugged Edna's leg. "I won't ever forgive Doctor Marcel what he did to my little girl and what he plans to do with other children in the world!"  
"You know about that?", Edna questioned in surprise.  
"Well, I told you I've been watching over you", her mother replied, calm once again. A kind yet teasing smile spread across Vivian's face. "And I know about your new relationship. I hope I don't need to give you the talk."  
"Mom!", Edna exclaimed indignantly. Vivian chuckled and assured her she was only joking. Edna narrowed her eyes at her, then she sighed and looked off into the distance.  
"I'm not even sure if we're a couple", the young, still living woman admitted. "Sure, we admitted our feelings for each other but it doesn't mean we're automatically together..."  
"Then you should talk with him, the worst he can say is no. But I'm confident you two will be a couple in a few hours", Vivian smiled but Edna raised an eyebrow:  
"Why in a few hours?"  
"Well, I can imagine you'd want to rest up after such a hard day."  
"Hm, you got a point there", Edna agreed eventually. It was true; the whole day had been exhausting for her. She could not wait to go to bed properly. But not before she had her talk with the other two she wanted to see. Edna opened her mouth but Vivian answered her question before she asked:  
"Your father and Alfred will be here any moment now. Come on, let's take a walk."  
The two Konrad women started walking a leisure pace with Harvey trotting along beside them. It felt unreal to Edna, being able to do this with her mother, even if it was only happening in a limbo while she was in a trance.  
"Mom, when did you know that Dad was the right one for you?", Edna asked as they traipsed around the paddock. Before she finished asking her question, she realized she had stopped calling Mattis by his name like she usually did. Maybe it was because it sounded kind of wrong to call her own father by his first name in her mother's presence.  
"Oh... I'm not sure... But I... I think I always knew... just not consciously", Vivian replied softly, gazing off to the distance with a faraway look. "Perhaps it was the day he tried to ask me out on a date but stumbled over his words. It was a miracle he even managed to get any words out at all."  
Vivian chuckled fondly at the memory. Edna, who could visualize this all, did so too. The mother-daughter pair kept chortling for a few more minutes but then Vivian stopped and sighed somewhat mournfully.  
"Mattis was a good man and he was good with children but not with raising them...", she glanced at Edna. "He did a lot of things wrong with you but I could see he meant it well. His methods were just wrong..."  
"Funny... I thought the exact same thing a few months ago", Edna remarked, unable to resist a grin. Vivian smirked.  
"Well, you _are_ my daughter after all. You know, I kept watching over you and Mattis after my death. He did not so well when you were being naughty but I noticed he was at ease and relaxed whenever you do did something together, like bicycle tours or watching movies."  
"When you say you watched over us... have you seen me watching movies I shouldn't have watched yet in secret?", Edna asked tentatively. Her mother's smirk was answer enough for her. Edna gave a sheepish smile and laughed awkwardly but Vivian did not reprimand her.  
"Don't worry, your crime has already long lapsed", the mother replied, still smirking. She and her daughter went on with their stroll through the barren property of the mansion. Edna still could hardly believe that it was real; she and Vivian – together. Prior to her meeting Miranya, she had thought it would not happen until she herself was dead.  
"Mom, have you known?"  
Vivian looked at her daughter questioningly.  
"Have I known what?"  
"That you were pregnant again when you died?", Edna elaborated. Vivian stopped walking and sighed; Edna stopped in her tracks too. The dead woman gave the living woman a sad smile.  
"I didn't know, I mean, it was still early in pregnancy when I lost my life...", Vivian sighed again and gazed at the blue skies, the weather so tantalizingly beautiful in contrast to the depressive state of the women's surroundings.  
"Well, I did notice I didn't get my period one month but I didn't think anything about it. It happened before that my period skipped a month only for me to have it the next month but it usually only happened when I was under a lot of stress", Vivian went on. "If I hadn't died and noticed that I didn't have my monthly joys, I would have gone to a gynecologist."  
"I think I would have liked a little brother or sister", Edna remarked. "Although Tina has become something like sister to me."  
"I've seen your friends when I watched over you. You know, I'm happy that, because of you, two age groups that would otherwise never interact together became friends."  
"Oh, I'm sure it would have happened without me too. Bianca's brother did spend some time in the hospital and that's how their mother met Amy and Anika's mother."  
"Yes, they would have met but their relationship wouldn't be as close as it is now. They would be acquainted with the occasional invitation to tea but nothing more. Perhaps after enough tea and pastries but most likely not as close as they are now because of you", Vivian explained.  
"Makes me feel like I'm an important part of something big", Edna remarked.  
"Aw, who cares about what might have been? I say we should live our lives without thinking too much about it", the blue lagomorph at Edna's side commented.  
"He's right, you know. You've been thinking too much about the past and what might have been", Vivian said. "It's time for you to let go."  
"I know... but –"  
Suddenly, Harvey startled them with his shriek.

* * *

Miranya had sent Moti to Edna to get in contact with her once she was in a trance as well as Vivian, Mattis and Alfred. However, it was not easy to tell them when she was in trance; therefore Miranya just told them to get to her. The dead could get to her whenever she liked while she held her séances, so she assumed it would be the same when they wanted to communicate with those in trance. However, just to be sure, she nevertheless checked if Edna was ready yet and it was just a big coincidence she saw her.  
"Ugh, what now, Max Mixmo?", Miranya groaned when the deceased barkeeper appeared before her. Even after she found someone – Lilli to be precise – who would write down the recipe for his ultimate cocktail, which incidentally happened to be the cause of his dead, he still pestered her in the short time she was still free. Still, the Medium was happy to be able to talk with the dead again after so long, so she would even endure Max Mixmo. Therefore, she listened to his ramblings and answered his question about where she had been. When she had the chance, she explained why she had not talked to anyone in the afterlife for years. It did not help that none but one ever visited her and the single one that came to her was not very talkative. In retrospect, she wondered whether it was an actual ghost or if she wanted to believe it was one... But whatever, she had never seen this ghost, whether it was real or not, or any other ghost again.  
"Yes, I know what you mean but be more patient with Vivian. You said she has a child who's still alive and as far as I know, you have none. So give her more time to watch over the living", Miranya advised patiently, feeling like a counselor. Then she remembered that one of the people from the afterlife Edna wanted to talk to was named Vivian and she wondered if this Vivian and the Vivian Max Mixmo mentioned were one and the same and if, it were the case, the child was Edna. It would surely be a funny coincidence if it was be the case.  
One would think people had no worries after they died but it was amazing how much they still had on their minds, usually unsolved matters they had never been able to solve in their lifetime. There was a lot to catch up with and a lot of new deceased to get to know. For instance, there was one she spoke with before Max Mixmo interrupted. Some man who told her he was murdered with his tie by a man with green skin. At once, Miranya had the picture of the man in her head and she did not like it. She tried to convince herself it was somebody else but how many men had green skin?

* * *

"Hide me, Edna!", the blue rag doll rabbit yelled, hiding behind her leg. He looked fearfully at something or somebody behind her and Vivian. Both women frowned at the lagomorph before looking behind themselves and seeing two figures approaching them. One was a thin, lanky man with glasses and the other, who Edna suspected was the reason Harvey screamed, was a little boy of eight years. Edna, who only had her upper body turned to look behind her, now twisted the rest of her body to watch Mattis and Alfred coming closer, both looking the way they did back in 1998. Once again, Edna felt her emotions swelling up inside her. At last she had the chance to ask her father and her childhood friend for forgiveness. Would she finally be able to forgive and stop blaming herself? Edna took a hesitant step forward, unsure how to word her apology. However, she was spared from it for the time being.  
"Edna! Look at you! How you've grown", Mattis exclaimed. His daughter made a grimace; she always found this kind of greeting annoying when she witnessed other kids hearing this from relatives. At least she was fortunate to not have heard it too often – only once before from her paternal grandmother the last time she saw her before she died. Vivian did not seem to have liked this kind of greeting either, for she made a grimace too.  
"Mattis, more than a decade – actually it's getting close to two decades – have passed. Of course she's grown!", Vivian remarked.  
"I wasn't quite sure what else to say", Mattis admitted somewhat sheepishly. Vivian rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling nevertheless. Edna took another step forward, one deep breath and addressed both Mattis and Alfred, saying the words she had been wanting to say for so long:  
"D-dad... Alfred... I'm... I'm so sorry you died because of me... I never wanted this to happen..."  
She now addressed only Alfred:  
"I really meant it when I said I wanted to be nicer to you... But when you took Harvey... and threatened to have him taken away from me, I got scared. It never occurred to me you might... die when I push you down the stairs..."  
She trailed off and averted her eyes. The words she said were true and yet, she felt they would not suffice. If only there was a way to show Alfred how much she regretted her actions.  
"I was really angry at first when I came to the afterlife", Alfred admitted. "But your mother's taken good care of me and when we watched over you and saw what my father did to you, I felt pity and sympathy towards you. Even if there was a time I wished something bad happen to you, what my dad did to you was never what I had in mind – a broken arm or leg perhaps", he gulped at Vivian's glare, "– but never you being locked in and having your personality rewritten."  
"So... you don't agree with your father's plans, do you?", Edna, who had her eyes back on him, asked. Alfred shook his head:  
"No, childhood is an important aspect in life. It shouldn't be taken away."  
Edna smiled at her old friend. She was glad he was more decent and sensible than his own father. Still, there was one last thing she had to ask both males:  
"Do you two forgive me?"  
A crease appeared between her brows as she regarded them with a mixture of uncertainty and plea in her purple ocular organs.  
"I've already forgiven you a long time ago!", Alfred exclaimed with his wide grin that made him increased his resemblance to a frog more than ever.  
"And I never blamed you. But if I had known what letting you have Doctor Marcel as your guardian meant for you and your life, I would have looked for someone else", Mattis replied. "I hope you can forgive me for that and everything else I did wrong."  
"Already happened... a long time ago", Edna smiled at them all, tears streaming down her face at last. It was impossible for her to hold them back with all the emotions swelling up inside her like a balloon. Never had she imagined she would see them again in her life – only when she was dead – and it was better than she had ever imagined. And to think that Mattis and Alfred had forgiven her a long time ago made it all even better. They all took a walk around, reminiscing about old times and talking about Edna's current life.  
"Edna, how about I leave you three alone for you to catch up while I stay here with Harvey?", Vivian suggested just as the group reached the front door of the mansion. Edna frowned at her mother.  
"Don't you want to come along too?", she questioned, hardly able to imagine why Vivian would not want to join her and Mattis and Alfred.  
"Of course I want to but I'm sure there's so much for you three to catch up that I would feel like a third wheel", Vivian explained. "But don't worry, I will still be here until you want to leave the limbo and return to the world of the living."  
"Well, alright...", Edna agreed at last.  
"See you three later", Vivian smiled and waved at her daughter, husband and her daughter's friend as they walked away. Once they were gone, she looked at Harvey. "Well, it's just you and me now."

* * *

By now, the local police and the police from the next town had reached the open main gate of the asylum. Gerret had checked the crash site for Doctor Marcel's two minions but found they had already left. However, the limousine was still there. Well, the doctor might not need it for some time after tonight but if he behaved, he should get a toy car. At the moment, their police vehicles blocked the main gate. It would not be easy to snake through the cars to flee the property.  
Gerret stood next to the watchtower, and addressed every present policeman and woman. Each one, he noticed, had a serious expression on their faces, although a couple of them had it mixed with confusion. He could hardly blame them since rarely anything that would force them to go to a scene of crime ever happened in the middle of the night around here. It was usually only bar brawls when one patron had too much of a drink and that was something the local police could handle.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight I received information that Doctor Marcel had committed a number of crimes over the last few weeks! I want you to find him and arrest him and, while you're at it, find as many pieces of evidence you can! Look in every nook and cranny! Oh, and don't forget to arrest his minions too!", Gerret ordered in a loud and clear voice... well, as loud and clear as it was possible with his hoarse voice.  
"Uh Gerret? If everyone who works here is behind bars, who will watch over the patients?", Maya pointed out. Gerret did not move a muscle when he heard his friend's argument but he gave himself a mental slap. He had completely forgotten about the patients! How could when he knew the scene of the crimes was the asylum?  
"Well, I suggest some of us stay here and watch over the patients until actual guards, who are not in jail, arrive", Maya went on before Gerret could think of an alternative. The pale man nodded in agreement to her suggestion.  
"Yes, that's what we do. Any volunteers?"  
None stepped forward; none seemed to be eager to have the job. Everyone either looked at each other or flickered their eyes around. One or two beheld the night sky with their hands overlapped as though they were praying. Gerret and Maya exchanged a look of exasperation before the latter loudly addressed their colleagues:  
"Well, if everyone's so eager to do this, I will pick... hm, how about five?"  
She peered questioningly at Gerret, who held up six fingers.  
"Oh okay, I will pick six of you to take over this task. Neumann, Meincke, Hengstler, Honeck, Hoegel and Sablik, you all will take over the task!"  
The six individuals stepped forward when Maya called their names.  
"You six stay put while we arrest every employee", she ordered while Gerret gave another group their instructions about checking the watchtower, the garages and the basement. After he was done, they scattered to these places, although some of them stayed with everyone else. It made no sense for them to scamper away if they were going to check the basement and everyone else was going to storm the building anyway. So, every police man and woman who had not yet received their specific instructions stood in rank and file, ready to storm the building. A nod from Gerret and his saying the word "now" and every police officer stormed the front door, startling the man who guarded the entrance and who was about to doze off.  
"Wh-what? What the hell's goin' on?", he exclaimed, goggling disorientated at the large numbers of police officers filing through the entrance. However, they stopped dead and their jaws dropped simultaneously.  
"Gerret, when were you going to tell us that the patients are running around like a bunch of crazy chickens?", Maya questioned as she watched open-mouthed the patients causing mayhem.

* * *

Edna, Mattis and Alfred strolled around the mansion's property, reminiscing about all the activities they did together. It was only now that Edna realized how much she enjoyed the rare trips to the beach, mountains or big cities and the annual bicycle tour in fall. Sure, she already knew for a long time of the enjoyment she felt but never the extent.  
"Remember when you took a nap at the beach and I built a sandcastle on you?", Edna reminded Alfred chortling.  
"I couldn't move!", the little boy with the resemblance to a frog exclaimed in the same panicked voice he had back then.  
"Ah come on! You can't deny it was hilarious!", Edna laughed. A glance at her grinning father told her he found it funny too.  
"Well, I guess it kind of was...", Alfred mumbled quietly, a little smirk spreading across his face. It became bigger a second later. "But I see you've got a boyfriend now."  
The smile on Edna's face faded away and was replaced by a deep shade of red on her cheeks. Of course he would know about it, Vivian did say they watched over her, so it was obvious Alfred would tease her about her current love life. Alfred seemed to be pleased with himself that he managed to render Edna speechless.  
"Ah yes, my only regret is that I will never be able to intimidate him or claiming no male is good enough for my little girl", Mattis smirked good-naturedly. Edna arched both her eyebrows at her father:  
"Dad, let's be honest, you were never the most intimidating person in the world", Edna pointed out. "And really? No one would be good enough for me? I overheard you once saying me and Alfred would make a great couple."  
"What!?", the boy exclaimed disbelievingly but was ignored.  
"Would he never be good enough for me either?", the young woman went on, crossing her arms over her chest.  
"Well, I would have intimated him", Mattis admitted. Edna noticed Alfred stepped away from her father. "But you should know best I'm only joking about it."  
"True", Edna smirked, letting her arms fall to her sides. She nonetheless would have liked to see how Alan would be intimidated by her spineless father. The image was amusing.  
"I can't look into the future, Edna, but I wish for you two to be happy together", Mattis smiled. "But never forget, even if you have your fights, it does not mean it would be the end to your relationship. It's common for couples to fight but also common to make up."  
Edna had a hunch how her father imagined a couple making up, though she was not sure if every couple made up like this.  
"I keep that in mind. Is there anything else I should be aware of or do?", the young woman questioned just as her mother appeared along with Harvey.  
"Not much, just do little things for each other, like breakfast in bed or going out even when there's no special occasion", Vivian advised. "And just generally show your affections for each other every now and then."  
Mattis stepped towards his wife and took her hand. Edna's parents gave her such a smile she felt its warmth to her core. The only living human being in the limbo reciprocated the smile as her eyes traveled from Mattis to Vivian and even to Alfred.  
"I will do my best to heed your advices", Edna promised, addressing her parents. Then she turned her attention to Alfred, wanting to tell him so many things but not finding the right words. Thus, the little family and the friend sauntered around the limbo for a while longer.  
"Sweetie, it's time for us to go now", Vivian said after an hour or so. At least that was what Edna felt like. She was unsure whether or not the passage of time in the limbo was identical to the world of the living. "We have to return to the afterlife and you need your sleep and no trance, which I don't see as a well rest."  
"But...", Edna did not want to go yet. She had not seen any of them since her age was written with only a single digit number and the amount of time she spent with them was not enough. Vivian, however, gave her daughter a kind smile.  
"We will see each other again, and I mean while you're still alive", she assured her. Then she took Mattis's hand and placed her other hand on Alfred's shoulder. "We could try to visit you in your dreams but I don't know whether it'll work."  
"O... okay", Edna relented. She knew she had to return to her realm. There were people – friends and an eventual boyfriend – who were waiting for her. "Try to see if you can visit me in my dreams."  
"We will", Mattis promised. With one final word of departure and the promise to see each other again, they all left the limbo. Edna and Harvey by returning to the living world and Vivian, Mattis and Alfred by going back to the afterlife. Everything Edna saw in the limbo – paddock, garage, barn, old trees, the gardener's house and the mansion itself –slowly disappeared as Edna awoke back in her realm.

Despite having her purple eyes closed, Edna became aware of her surroundings. She felt she lay on something soft, most likely a bed, and that she held something small and soft close to her with her right arm. Somebody sat on her left side on the bed and held her hand. Although she could not see it, she had a feeling they were looking at her and she knew she wanted to see the person too. So, she slowly opened her eyes, purple meeting green.  
"Hey", she greeted Alan with a soft smile, slowly sitting up. "Were you watching me all the time?"  
"Actually yes... I was kind of afraid you won't be able to wake up from your trance", he admitted. Edna moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder.  
"What would you have done if I wouldn't have been able to wake?", she wondered aloud.  
"I would have done everything to wake you up", Alan responded. Edna gazed at him and moved her head so that she could look directly into his eyes. Plucking up her courage, she leant forward and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He stroke her hair with the back of his hand, moving the hand down to her waist where he let it rest.  
"Your friends have lent us nightwear", he told her, nodding at a chair close to the bed. Pajamas and a nightgown were neatly folded upon it. "I can leave the room and change in the bathroom while you change here."  
"Okay", Edna nodded and they parted. Alan took the pajamas in his arms and left the room. Edna waited until she heard the door close before she took of her clothes, bar panties, and put on Amy's nightgown. She examined herself in this teal colored article of clothing in a mirror. It was a size too big but she was going to manage it for one night. As she gazed at her reflection, she realized how tired she looked and felt. She had bags under her eyes, not unlike those she had when she was still a prisoner of the mental institution. Yes, perhaps it was better if she would go to sleep now, like her mother suggested. She could always discuss her relationship status with Alan the next day. She put her clothes over the back of the chair and went back into the bed just as Alan re-entered the room. He was dressed in scarlet pajamas which were also too big for him. He placed his neatly folded clothes on the chair and then joined Edna in bed, putting an arm around her. She snuggled up to him and placed her arm around his waist. Her head was close to his chest and she could hear the rhythmic beating of his heart. It was such a beautiful sound to fall asleep to. Why had she not realized it sooner? Even if she had not been exhausted, she would surely drift off to sleep to this sound. She could barely hear him biding her good night before she was out like a light.


End file.
